Uganda–South Sudan Cross-Border Peace and Climate Action Conference
5th–6th November 2026 | Kaabong District, Uganda
Kaabong, 6 November 2026 – A total of 155 representatives from Uganda, South Sudan and Kenya gathered in Kaabong for the Uganda–South Sudan Cross-Border Peace and Climate Action Conference, convened by local governments of Kaabong and Karenga, ADRA Uganda and the DANIDA supported STRENGTH Project consortium partners to confront the escalating conflict affecting Karamoja and the neighbouring border communities in South Sudan and Kenya, and to agree on practical pathways to peace, stability and climate resilience.
The two-day conference brought together a broad cross-section of actors. From Uganda, participants include the Minister and State Minister for Karamoja; the State Minister for Ethics; Members of Parliament; the LC5 Chairpersons of Karenga, Kotido and Kaabong; the Commander of the UPDF 3rd Division; the Chief Warden of Kidepo Valley National Park under the Uganda Wildlife Authority; peace committee leaders; elders; and representatives of civil society organisations. From South Sudan, the conference has brought political, security and religious leaders from Kapoeta East, alongside civil society representatives, livestock traders and reformed warriors. Kenya is represented through the Presidential Peace Convoy.
Speaking at the opening, the State Minister for Ethics and Woman Member of Parliament for Karenga, Hon. Rose Lilly Akello, emphasised that peace in the region requires a multi-stakeholder approach in which elders and reformed warriors are meaningfully and centrally involved. Their legitimacy within communities, she noted, makes them indispensable partners in prevention, mediation and reconciliation.
The Member of Parliament for Dodoth East, Hon. Peter Pex, commended the Government of Uganda for its disarmament efforts, observing that whereas communities once harboured significant numbers of illegal firearms, the trend has now been brought under manageable control, with only one or two guns reported in some communities. He nonetheless called for serious disarmament in South Sudan, stressing that peace cannot hold on one side of the border while insecurity persists on the other. He further urged that community peace committees be revived and strengthened, and noted that such efforts could be supported by Government, ADRA and all partners.
The Director General of the State Ministry of Peacebuilding in Torit, Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan, Auxilio Odume Raymondo, emphasised that stakeholders must coordinate, stating that South Sudan stands ready to work with Uganda and Kenya so that every peacebuilding effort delivers real change for our communities.
Several leaders pointed to the root causes of the current conflicts as being driven by diminishing natural resources due to climate change, and by the competition over those resources, which has in turn necessitated repeated movements of people across districts and across national borders. Pastoralist mobility, already a way of life, has become increasingly contested as grazing land and water points shrink, pushing communities into conflict with one another and with conservation authorities.
Speaking on behalf of the STRENGTH Project, Aliguma Ahabyona Akiiki, Project Manager, said the project’s strength lies in partnership. ‘We commit to working with the full diversity of leaders gathered here – governments, elders, reformed warriors, women, youth, religious and cultural institutions, and our consortium partners across Uganda and South Sudan. This diversity is not a challenge to manage but our greatest asset. We further commit to implementing climate resilience and peace-related work that is community-led, conflict-sensitive and accountable’
Karamoja’s chronic insecurity spills across the Kenya–South Sudan border, where armed cattle raids, small arms trafficking and displaced pastoralist communities strain already weak coordination among local authorities and aid partners.
Over the two days, participants deliberated on peace, security and conflict management; cross-border cooperation and regional collaboration; governance, political leadership and institutional accountability; natural resource management and climate change; livelihoods and economic development; gender equality, women’s empowerment and youth participation; justice, reconciliation and community-based conflict resolution; community participation, early warning and multi-stakeholder coordination; and follow-up and accountability.
Priority Action Points and Recommendations
The conference resolved to consolidate recommendations and actions into a prioritised cross-border peace action plan, operationalise the Cross-Border Peace Platform, engage the Karamoja Parliamentary Group, and establish a follow-up mechanism through ADRA and partners to track progress and document achievements. The conference was organised by ADRA Uganda as part of the STRENGTH project, with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. Project consortium partners-including Reproductive Health Uganda in Uganda, and ADRA South Sudan, Welthungerhilfe and the Organization for Peace, Relief and Development in South Sudan – actively mobilised participation.
