The row began after GPAA Chief Administrator Gola Boyoi Gola and Deputy Information Minister David Yau Yau visited Kessengor, also known as Kater Payam, on Friday.
Eastern Equatoria State authorities protested the visit, with Governor Louis Lobong saying it was not conducted through the proper procedures.
In response, GPAA issued a strongly worded statement insisting that Kessengor belongs to its territory.
“The Area’s Administration would like to state clearly that Kizingor (Kater) is indisputably and legally part of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area,” the statement said.
GPAA said the area falls under Jebel Boma County and is inhabited by the Jie community, which it described as “one of the integral communities that form the fabric of GPAA.”
Defending the visit, the administration said, “The Chief Administrator and the National representatives of the area have the fundamental right and obligation to visit any or all constituencies within the Greater Pibor Administrative Area without needing consent from outsiders.”
According to GPAA, the visit was “a routine engagement with the GPAA communities in the border areas aimed at peace consolidation.”
The administration accused Eastern Equatoria State of interfering in its affairs, saying the condemnation of the visit had “no basis whatsoever” and amounted to “an unacceptable intrusion into GPAA’s internal administrative affairs” as well as “a reckless effort to erode our administration’s territorial integrity.”
GPAA also relied on historical boundary records to support its claim, stating that “according to the Southern Sudan boundary demarcation of January 1st, 1956, the border between the former Pibor District and Eastern Equatoria State traverses the Lopet border area, which is hundreds of kilometres away from Kizingor.”
It added that “Kizingor (Kater) falls within the boundaries of the former Pibor District, which now comprises part of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.”
The statement further dismissed attempts to link GPAA to security incidents in Eastern Equatoria.
“Your state coordinator was attacked and tragically killed in the villages of Eastern Equatoria State, with no apparent link to GPAA,” the statement said.
GPAA also rejected any challenge to its authority over the area, declaring: “We strongly reject any external claims or suggestions that challenge the GPAA’s authority over its own territory and people.”
The administration called on Eastern Equatoria State to “respect the established administrative boundaries” and focus on promoting peaceful coexistence between the two neighbouring administrations.
Meanwhile, leaders from the Jie community have called on the national government to intervene and help resolve the dispute.
