Uganda’s Ambassador to South Sudan, H.E Brig Gen Ronnie Balya ‘ndc’, has said that the building of regional economic blocs like the East African Community (EAC) and the African Union (AU) is one of the processes by which nations can achieve African Political Union.

While hosting the Uganda Embassy Independence Day celebrations at the Pyramid Continental Hotel in Juba on Friday, October 11, 2024, to celebrate Uganda’s 62nd Independence Anniversary, Brig Gen Balya highlighted the master plan of putting in place inter-connectivity or integrated and cross-border projects including roads, railways, electricity, and telecommunications, among others, with the aim of promoting trade, tourism, investment, and job creation in the region so as to ensure one Africa and one destiny, adding that nations don’t require rocket science to achieve this.

He urged the outside countries to embrace the opportunities to invest in Uganda and enjoy the hospitality in the tourism industry since it is host to very important physical features in the whole world, including the source of the River Nile, Lake Victoria, Mount Rwenzori, huge forests and wetlands, crater lakes, national parks, and game reserves like Queen Elizabeth National Park, among others. The Ambassador assured them of the country’s good investment climate and business security.

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In order to achieve the above, the Ambassador General cautioned African countries and the people against entertaining intra-state conflicts or inter-state wars since Africans are one people.

On tackling global tensions, which he said are harmful to international peace and prosperity, Brig Gen Balya noted that united African armies are being built to protect Africa against recolonization. He, therefore, called for fraternal and cohesive relationships between member states to ensure harmony.

“Even the African National Armies we are building are one for defending Africa against Potential Recolonization and Extremist/Terrorist Ideologies like JIHADISM—by dismantling their networks and degrading their capacity to operate,” Gen Balya noted.

In his speech at a ceremony attended by the National Minister of Environment and Forestry as the Guest of Honor, other senior officials of the government of South Sudan, members of the diplomatic corps, religious leaders, cultural leaders, the business community, and Ugandans living in South Sudan, Brig Gen Balya highlighted the challenges affecting the region, including conflicts, wars, terrorism, and organized crimes. He, however, stressed that though the challenges are great, they are not insurmountable, and the resolve to handle them as Africa is greater with support from the global community.

“We have all the five aspects needed to execute any mission against these threats—decisively, successfully, and conclusively—in order to defend and secure the region,” he said.

Commenting on Africa’s capacity, the Ambassador General said that Africa has human resources with the right knowledge, skills, and attitude in terms of professionalism, determination with morale and motivation, equipment and manpower, support of the population, and popular vigilance.

“Support of the population has been our center of gravity during revolutionary wars, or call them resistance wars against dictatorships. Upholding strategic partnership with the population; never to antagonize them. We ensure excellent civil-military relations,” Amb Balya said.

He further urged African States and its people not to be enemies to each other but complementary to each other, regardless of their ethnic and religious identities or economic and commercial interests, calling for a swift termination of conflicts.

“Senseless conflicts and violence must be avoided. We must always draw a clear line between a PRINCIPLED WAR/JUSTIFIED WAR that must be fought if Diplomacy totally fails vs. UNPRINCIPLED WARS/UNJUSTIFIED WARS that must be avoided, so that logic/commonsense takes charge and resolves the disagreements,” he noted.

In his concluding remarks, Brig Gen Balya quoted one ancient man saying, “God gave us two ears, two eyes, but one mouth so that we see more, hear more, but talk less—the tongue can destroy or save life. Belligerents should control themselves and guard their tongues, but also be good listeners to logic (active listeners).” He, therefore, called upon the global community to descalate tensions because they are harmful to international peace and prosperity, calling for a diplomatic solution as opposed to a military solution in restoring peace, harmony, and delivering justice.

Uganda and South Sudan are strategic neighbors, partners, and friends with a long history of excellent cooperation, especially regarding the revolutionary struggle in the two countries. Currently, South Sudan is one of Uganda’s biggest trading partners in the region, and trade between the two countries is booming.