South Sudan Civil Society have called on Uganda president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the African Union panel of wise to address obstacles to the 2018 peace agreement.
After reports of tension between parties to the 2018 peace agreement including the recent incident where Dr. Riek Machar was placed under house arrest, most African countries have tried their best to deescalate the situation.
The arrival of African Union panel of Wise followed by Uganda president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni raised optimism among the civil society who constantly calls for genuine and sincere implementation of 2018 peace agreement by peace parties.
According to the statement extended to the Media, Ter Manyang, the Executive Directive for Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) urged the President Museveni and the AU delegation to ensure that the pending misunderstanding are addressed.
He reiterated the need for President Museveni never to leave issue unturned adding that the Citizen expect him to discuss serious issue including the arrest of Dr. Machar.
“Citizens expect him to discuss the house arrest of Dr. Riek Machar, the main principal of the R-ARCSS” Ter said
He appealed to the African Union Panel of wise to collaborate with President Museveni in order to ensure that all crucial issues are discuss in order for peace to prevail in the country.
However, although the official agenda of the President Museveni visit has not been publicly revealed, the discussions are expected to focus on regional security, the future of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, and Uganda’s recent military engagement in South Sudan.
“I look forward to our discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation between our two nations,” Museveni wrote on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.
Museveni, a long-time ally of Kiir, is a guarantor of the 2018 agreement that ended South Sudan’s five-year civil war. However, Uganda’s recent troop deployments in support of the ununified SSPDF to fight the White Army have drawn criticism from South Sudanese, including Dr. Machar, who wrote to the UN seeking intervention to withdraw the forces.
“The two leaders are expected to discuss bilateral relations between Juba and Kampala, besides the current political developments in the country,” a short statement from President Kiir’s office reads.
Museveni’s visit follows an IGAD mission led by Special Envoy Raila Odinga and the AU’s Panel of the Wise, who are in Juba to de-escalate tensions after President Kiir’s arrest of Machar.
Machar’s arrest comes as a result of escalating conflict in the Upper Nile between government forces and the White Army allied with him, leading to civilian casualties and displacement.
This has raised fears of the 2018 peace agreement collapsing, potentially pushing South Sudan back into full-scale civil war if de-escalation and dialogue do not take place.
