03/04/2025
EU Delegation applauds Koboko leaders for Refugee integration
A high level delegation from European Union (EU) and member state on Thursday 3rd April 2025 visited Koboko and met both Koboko Municipal and District leaders to discussed ongoing developments and prospects for new areas of collaborations with the two Local Governments. The delegation led by European Union Deputy Ambassador to Uganda Mr Guillaume Chartrain applauded Koboko Municipality and District leaders for embracing refugee integration with host community. “we thank you for your leadership. As European Union, we support integration of refugees into other countries”. Ambassador told the delegation during a meeting in Koboko District Hall. ‘West Nile community is a remarkable community when it comes to refugee integration, thank you Koboko for hosting us”, the ambassador added.
Key issues among others presented by the local leaders to the delegation are infrastructural development in education, health and livelihood opportunities through skilling especially for the youths who constitute 21% of the population. “there is high poverty level among both the refugees and the host community youths who constitute 21% of the population. skilling them can reduce dependancy”. LCV Chairperson Koboko District Local Government Hon Mambu Ashrafu presented to the delegation. He further presented that human activities like grazing and cultivation by the host refugees who are normads living outside the camps have heavy burden on environment if not collectively adressed will be a threat in future.
Koboko Municipality Mayor Hon Sanya Kirk Fixer Wilson said the coming of the delegation will help the team understand the real refugee integration in Koboko better. “In Koboko, you can not know who is from Uganda, who is from Democratic Republic of Congo and who is from South Sudan because of peaceful coexistence and the same language we speak”. Mayor presented to the guests. “We have ‘Salia Musala’, this where Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan boarder meet and it is where you find people from 3 different Countries live together and speak the same language”, Mayor Added during his presentation to the visitors.
“In Koboko Municipality, there are two Refugee led Community Based Organizations South Sudanese Refugees Association (SSURA) and Congolese Refugees Association (CORA) operating and we have given them free office space in the trauma healing and counseling Centre” Mayor informed the visitors
He further said that Koboko leadership is looking forward to having joint Chamber of Commerce for Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan business community because business is the trade mark of Koboko.
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L-R: LCV Chairperson Koboko Hon Mambo Ashirafu, EU Deputy Ambassador Mr Guillaume Chartrain, Commissioner Morobo Country Charles Data Bule, Mayor Koboko Municipality Sanya Kirk Fixer Wilson and Chief of kakwa Community in DR Congo Tsuwa Likambo David in Salia Musala in Uganda - DR Congo - South Sudan boarder during field visit