A high powered cross-border peace meeting between Kenya and Sudan scheduled to take place in Moroto in Uganda has been canceled by Ugandan authorities citing a breach of protocol, local media reported on Sunday.
Kenya and Sudan security teams who had converged at Lodwar town in northern Kenya were stranded following the last minute cancellation of the weekend meeting.
Kenya’s labor Minister John Munyes who was leading the Kenyan delegation and his South Sudan counterpart Louis Labong Lojore were holed up in Lodwar town to chart the way forward.
According to the organizers of the meeting, the Resident District Commissioner of Moroto Naman Ojwe canceled the meeting citing failure by the organizers to inform the Ugandan authorities about their agenda.
The meeting was slated to take place in Uganda after Sudanese officials declined to negotiate from Lokichoggio border town.
State owned Kenya Broadcasting Corporation television reported that unconfirmed reports claimed that Uganda government was adamant to welcome the Sudanese nationals on its soil to protest the killing of three Ugandans in Eastern Equatorial region last week.
The sources further disclosed that the Sudanese Toposa were allies of the Dodoth linked to cattle rustling activities in Uganda.
Although the Ugandan government has stepped up disarmament in the Karamoja region, the Dodoth have frustrated the exercise.
Tension has been high at the border with Sudan following attacks by Toposa pastoralists from Southern Sudan.
Source African Press Agency
