Ugandan president advises S. Sudan to accept deployment of regional forces
Elisabeth Janaina
Ugandan president advises S. Sudan to accept deployment of regional forces
Email
Print
Save
July 24, 2016 (JUBA) – Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, has advised his South Sudanese counterpart, President Salva Kiir, to not reject deployment of additional regional third party force in Juba, but to instead focus on negotiating the level of their mandate as they deploy in the country.
- President Salva Kiir (L) shakes hands with Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni (R) after signing a peace agreement on August 26, 2015 (Photo AFP /Charles Lomodong)
Museveni said failure to comply with the African Union’s endorsed deployment of the troops to Juba will complicate the matter and result to further tougher measures which can be taken against the country and its leadership, cautioning President Kiir not to fall into “traps of western countries.”
This came in a meeting on Saturday in Kampala between President Kiir and President Museveni.
President Museveni, according to a presidential source who accompanied President Kiir to Kampala, said he made the remarks during their discussions on regional peace and security, particularly the proposed deployment of additional foreign troops in South Sudan.
This week, President Kiir vowed to not allow even a “single foreign soldier” to deploy in South Sudan in his reaction to the AU’s resolution to deploy a third party force to separate rival forces loyal to President Kiir and those loyal to his first deputy, Riek Machar. The government also organized demonstrations in Juba and in some states to reject the deployment of additional foreign forces with senior officials vowing to fight them should they deploy.
The force would also provide protection to the South Sudanese leadership, essential government infrastructures including the Juba airport as well as citizens at risk of violence in the capital.
There were no details of the issues the two leaders have discussed and resolved, as there was no official statement issued by the office of South Sudan president before and after the return from Uganda.
However, the high level presidential source told Sudan Tribune on Sunday that president Kiir travelled to Uganda to seek advice with president Museveni, who remains the only ally in the region.
President Museveni’s influence in the region, he said, has however been overshadowed by an unanimous regional consensus to dispatch additional foreign troops to shore up the fighting and protection capacity of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in the country.
Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda are some among the countries in the region backing up the decision of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) member countries and African Union (AU), asking countries in the region to contribute and dispatch additional troops with a stronger mandate to protect civilians at risk or exposed to an extreme violence and to act as buffer for rival armed groups in the country.
“President Kiir went to Uganda at the invitation of president Museveni over regional matters. He advised him not to accept provocations and fall into the traps of western countries. The western governments are desperately looking for an excuse to go to the country and that the president should be extra careful,” he quoted the advice President Museveni had given to President Kiir.
“He advised him to negotiate the mandate of the regional force instead of an outright rejection. So president Kiir was basically going to seek audience with president Museveni and to share ideas on the regional intervention force and how this situation could be handled,” he told Sudan Tribune.
Meanwhile, president Museveni in his Facebook page released after the meeting with president Kiir on Saturday confirmed holding talks on regional matters but did not divulge into the details of the discussions.
“I have today held talks with my South Sudan counterpart, His Excellency Salva Kiir, at State House, Entebbe. We focused on regional issues but importantly how to ensure peace and stability returns to South Sudan,” said president Museveni, according to a post on his Facebook page.
The African Union has endorsed the deployment of the forces, saying the troops deployment will take place whether President Kiir liked it or not.
Opposition party led by Riek Machar also supported the deployment of the forces, saying their leader, Machar, will immediately return to Juba from his hiding place once the troops are on the ground to ensure his safety.
Machar fled the capital on 11 July after four days of clashes between his small number of troops and forces loyal to President Salva Kiir. His officials said he is still around Juba and will return any time soon.
(ST)
- No inciting violence
- No inappropriate or offensive language
- No racism, tribalism or sectarianism
- No inappropriate or derogatory remarks
- No deviation from the topic of the article
- No advertising, spamming or links
- No incomprehensible comments
Due to the unprecedented amount of racist and offensive language on the site, Sudan Tribune tries to vet all comments on the site.
There is now also a limit of 400 words per comment. If you want to express yourself in more detail than this allows, please e-mail your comment as an article to com...@sudantribune.com
Kind regards,
The Sudan Tribune editorial team.
- 25 July 04:16, by Reuben
No way Kiir you have to comply. You do not know the rules if you do not comply, you will face the hard way.
- 25 July 04:58, by Malakal county Simon
Museveni is powerless to stop regional forces as it had been agreed!!!! You either accept them or face them on your and on sounded citizen that’s will on your behalf since you don’t about other people’s lives!!!!!!
- 25 July 06:33, by Eastern
Malakal county.....,
I couldn’t agree more. Museveni has felt the heat coming. Within two weeks since the conflict erupted, Kiir made a record 4 trips to Uganda to consult with Museveni.
- 25 July 10:39, by Akuma
Malakal County & the alikes who are jubiliating on that message. It is just a white lie and Museveni has no powers to intervend in the affairs of South Sudan as President Kiir has always made his final decision.
Those information are SudanTribune commentts. Anyway, South Sudanese people have decide not to allow any foreign troops in their soils not even single soldier to enter to South Sudan
- 25 July 05:58, by Whortti Bor Manza
Barbayo,
The reality is becoming apparent for Kiir. Museveni is a super fox in the region and he knows Kiir’s era is coming to an end after having sucked all the petro dollars out of this foolish lunatic. Tricks and foul play have limits. I once said whatever Kiir rejects he will accept at the end. - 25 July 06:35, by Eastern
Kiir and a few of his Dinka diehards will be left naked and alone opposing a regional force that will isolate and send them to rear skinny cattle in Akon. The country is tired of these obstinate and "majority" people. Lol!!
- 25 July 07:18, by Joseph Canada
Kiir have just been issued divorce warrant from his partner in Uganda. The Bribing money to keep Ugandan soldiers in South Sudan to protect one tribe is over. Soon you are going to be a lone wolf in Hague!!.
- 25 July 07:35, by Deng II
Believe me or not there will be no Regional forces coming to South Sudan.Riek Machar will never become President in South Sudan.
- 25 July 07:49, by Deng II
Until Machar quit politics and go to his own Luak for private uses only and leave us alone we Dinka to lead. This is where we Dinka will allow non Dinka to lead with no absolutely an association with Dr.Machar.
- 25 July 07:58, by Deng II
Dr.Machar think that marriages Western world women would gives him legitimate reasons to killed his own people to get lead over them. He is kidding his self, we will keep President Kiir,Kuol,Malong,as long Machar still breathing in and out.
- 25 July 08:09, by Deng II
Regional forces will do nothing than coming to spread diseases, trafficking young girls, enjoying raping with no accountabillity. Why do we like to be raps by others Countries people? It’s better to raping our selves than being raps by outsiders.
- 25 July 09:22, by Thokidine
Deng II has said it all that they better rape our women and in fact that is what they doing now. It’s an agreed principle by Dinka and their JCE to rape any female human in SS. They ve shamelessly gone as far as offering rape in lieu of salary for soldiers.
- 25 July 08:04, by jur_likang_a_ likan’g
Mr Deng II
We have heard your song and so we will sing it with you the hard way if you think our land belongs to you Dinka. From Renk to Nimule and from Ezo to Boma you can count how many Non-Dinka are numerically. We hate supremacists and imperialists that you have become for greed. South Sudan is for all of us and not for Jieng Council of Elders.
- 25 July 08:18, by Deng II
My messages to you is,if you keeps follows killer than we Dinka have no choices but struggle to prevent killer from getting power to finishing us off the face of earth.Remembered the killer collaborate with Arab to an exterminate Dinka.We will never allow him presidency.
- 25 July 08:19, by Deng II
My messages to you is,if you keeps follows killer than we Dinka have no choices but struggle to prevent killer from getting power to finishing us off the face of earth.Remembered the killer collaborate with Arab to an exterminate Dinka.We will never allow him presidency.
- 25 July 11:06, by Whortti Bor Manza
Deng 11,
The greatest collaborators with Arabs are the Dinkas; George Kongor Arop, vice pres to Omer Bashir of Sudan a Dinka, Prof. Moses Machar Kashoul a Dinka VP to Bashir too. Dinka militiamen under sultan Abdel Bagi ravaged NBGS and Warrap and captured Gogrial from SPLA. Where were you? You are a great liar. Sudan currently is full of Dinkas fleeing hunger and starvation. Soon you will get it
- 25 July 08:11, by Eastern
Deng II,
Forget this chest thumping; that Dinka arrogance will evaporate soon. Museveni your ONLY ally in the region has thrown in the towel by telling Kiir to allow the third party force set foot in South Sudan. The petrodollar you dinkas were using for renting a foreign force and buying arms to fight instead of reaching a political solution is no more!
- 25 July 08:23, by Deng II
I’m talking for only one person called Machar.He will never become President. I’m talking about big traitor.
- 25 July 08:33, by Deng II
Eastern
If you still believing that Machar is your President, then you are dreaming. It’s better for you to run for president so that i can vote for you, but quit advocates for Killer (Machar) please. What do you want Dinka to do? Allow their serial killer to lead them? Go ahead get rid of Dinka if you will be able to finishing them. The- 25 July 08:52, by Eastern
Deng II,
Stop being diversionary and delusional. No where has Dr Machar indicated that he wants to be president through unconstitutional way. Dr Machar wants to vie for the leadership of SPLM which I think is his constitutional right. Reform, which I also support, is where I agree with him. Anything "SPLM/SPLA" doesn’t have my support!
- 25 July 10:33, by Malakal county Simon
Deng 2/slave
You must quit the past if you really love your country because non-of those SPLM/A leaders are clean, that being said, we must stop that’s backward primitive thinking if we really love our country and want to move it forward in order to catch-up with the rest developing countries......
- 25 July 10:42, by Malakal county Simon
Cont...
Otherwise, rejecting Dr Machar mean paralysing the country and the rest of the countries look and laugh at us due to this minor issues that’s hold us back just this and that!!!! It’s pathetic and primitive at its best......
- 25 July 08:26, by Dengda
dependency Syndrome from our Leader( Kiir) we have thousands of expertise born in South Sudan, no matter where they are staying now they can give good advise rather than depend on other country, which have different interest. If u, don’t want intervention, better clean and maintain your house, fail to do so will result to even drone intervention . Holding country and citizens hostage is not right