By Mike Rwothomio
The Alur Kingdom has actively mobilized its communities across the Uganda-Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border to back a major International Organization for Migration (IOM) initiative focused on enhancing cross-border cooperation, stabilization, and resilience in the shared frontier regions.
The two-year European Union-funded program, implemented by IOM, targets persistent transboundary challenges including land conflicts, cattle rustling, smuggling, irregular migration, and human trafficking in Uganda’s border districts of Zombo, Nebbi, Arua, and Arua City, as well as adjacent areas in the DRC.
On Wednesday, 1 July 2026, IOM convened a high-level capacity-building workshop at the Office of the Resident District Commissioner in Nebbi District.
The session brought together key stakeholders from the four participating districts to advance the objectives of the newly established Cross-Border Committee (CBC). Community outreach activities under the program commenced on 2 July 2026, starting in Nebbi.
Prince Lawrence Opar Angala, Prime Minister (Jadipu) of the Alur Kingdom, represented the Kingdom at the workshop. He emphasized the strategic importance of the initiative for communities sharing deep linguistic, cultural, and traditional ties across the border.
“On behalf of the King, I appeal to all our people in the DRC and in Uganda to fully embrace this initiative so that we can live in a very peaceful environment,” Prince Opar Angala stated.
He commended IOM for the effort, expressing confidence that it would foster “unbreakable bonds of peace” in the spirit of East African Community brotherhood.
The Alur Kingdom, with 56 chiefdoms in Uganda and eight major ones in the eastern DRC, holds core membership in the CBC due to its significant geographical and demographic footprint, particularly in the DR Congo ‘s Mahagi Sector and Uganda’s Greater Nebbi Sub-region along the common border.
The workshop updated participants including Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), LC5 chairpersons, Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs), District Internal Security Officers (DISOs), District Police Commanders (DPCs), Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Customs, Immigration officials, UPDF representatives, as well as cultural and religious leaders on the CBC’s objectives and Terms of Reference (ToR).
Facilitator Ivan Wandera of IOM highlighted that the initiative would operate through community-centered structures.
According to Wandera, By integrating state institutions, local governance, religious bodies, and traditional leadership, the CBC aims to establish a sustainable platform for dialogue, collaborative problem-solving, and conflict prevention, management, and resolution.
“The committee will serve as a mechanism for addressing sensitive issues such as land disputes and territorial disputes within the framework of existing national legal regimes in both countries,” Wandera noted.
The program aligns with wider regional efforts, backed by the European Union, to reduce cross-border threats, facilitate safe mobility, and promote resilient livelihoods along the Uganda-DRC corridor. The first consultative meeting to establish the standing CBC was held on 18 February 2026 at White Castle Hotel in Arua City.
The overall objective of the CBC is “to strengthen cross-border cooperation, stabilization, and resilience of borderland areas between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Uganda.”
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN’s migration agency, leads the effort with a mandate covering safe, orderly, and humane migration, humanitarian assistance, and durable solutions for displaced populations.
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