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In June 2023, a dispute over the quality of maize arose between South Sudan and Uganda. The South Sudan National Bureau of Standards seized 65 Ugandan trucks carrying corn, claiming that the maize had high levels of aflatoxins. Efforts by Ugandan officials to resolve the issue were unsuccessful, and the trucks were relocated into South Sudan. To resolve the dispute, the presidents of South Sudan and Uganda agreed to send the affected trucks back to the border checkpoint for further testing by the East African Community mobile laboratory.

The presidents of South Sudan and Uganda have stepped in to resolve a maize dispute that had the potential to sour relations between the two nations.

The South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS) seized 65 Ugandan trucks carrying corn to South Sudan in June 2023 at the Nimule-Elegu border gate amid claims that the quality of part of the maize had been tainted.

Authorities in South Sudan said that the maize was unfit for human eating because it had aflatoxins of above 10 bpp, which is a high indicator of the abundance of b-propeller phytases (bpp).

The Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (Trade), Hon. Harriet Ntabazi, stated that efforts from the Prime Minister of Uganda and the Minister for East African Community Affairs failed to break the impasse during a briefing to Parliament on Thursday, July 6, 2023, which was presided over by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa.

The vehicles had been relocated seven kilometers into South Sudan, and despite efforts by representatives of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to access them, they were barred from doing so by their South Sudanese equivalents.

“The team of standards experts was to draw samples from the trucks for further testing and analysis, but they were not allowed on account that the matter was now under the control of the South Sudan National Security body,” said Ntabazi.

Ntabazi continued, “We requested copies of the SSNBS’s fast tests, but the chief in charge adamantly refused, saying he could only release results with permission from his superiors. Both Presidents Museveni and Kiir agreed that the affected trucks should be sent back to the border checkpoint so that the East African Community mobile laboratory can begin conducting additional tests on the maize on Friday, July 7, 2023.”

The two Heads of State also concurred that the non-confirming consignments should be handled in accordance with the Standardization, Quality Assurance, Metrology, and Testing Act while the consignments that pass the test should be permitted to enter Juba.

Ntabazi promised to inform the House about the results of the joint activity.