Mr Ofwono Opondo, the ugandan government spokesman gave the following explanations as justifications for Ugandas involvement in South Sudan : 1. Under section 39 of UPDF Act 2005 the president can deploy soldiers outside the country through consultation with the speaker of the parliament. This was done pending an opportunity when Parliament convenes to be briefed and perhaps endorse. (Ugandan Parliament is currently on recess). 2. The president indeed sent a small but robust contingent of UPDF troops at the request of the legitimate government of RSS under President Salva Kiir on Dec 16th, 2013, which is allowed under the UN charter and protocol, if a friendly country asks for assistance. 3. Uganda is a member of IGAD. It Is IGAD currently chaired by Ethiopia that is leading all initiatives in full consultations with AU and UNSC. 4. Ethiopian PM who is the current chair of AU with his foreign affairs minister chairs the IGAD council of ministers. He visited Juba on Dec 19th, 2013 and held initial talks with Salva Kiir. 5. The UN secretary general, Ban Ki Moon has said publically that he had requested President Museveni to help in RSS political crisis, depending on the situation on the ground. The bloodletting that was seen in the first two days, made it clear there was a real possibility of RSS descending into real ethnic cleansing, genocide and failed state. 6. The initial mission of UPDF was twofold, first, to secure Juba International Airport, and to evacuate thousands of Ugandans estimated to be 50,000 of which 8,000 were in Juba and other foreign nationals who were either injured, trapped, scattered or hiding in the bushes. 7. Securing Juba airport has been done by UPDF and is a huge success. Securing airport meant that evacuation can and has been conducted safely by Uganda, UN and other countries who wish to evacuate their nationals. It also means that fresh humanitarian, medical supplies and assistance can be flown to those in need. It further means that the airport remains opens and safe for international and commercial flights. 8. The UPDF has also secured the 190km Juba-Nimule road corridor to enable people leave RSS and for supplies to enter Juba. Since then UPDF has put a stop to the orgy of looting, killing and bloodletting to enable the government of SS to concentrate on pacifying other parts of the country. There are no killings in those parts controlled by the government. 9. The effect of Ugandan’s positive and effective interventions enabled Rebecca Garang to leave house arrest and go to Nairobi and 2 out of the 11 arrested former government officials have been released. President Salva Kiir has accepted to cease fire and gone for negotiations which have started in Addis Ababa. 10. President Museveni warning to Riek Machar was not a threat but caution from leaders who met in Nairobi that any party which continues with war, especially against civilians unarmed combatants, would be dealt with by the region. Anybody with clear and unprejudiced mind may see a lot of sense in what the government spokesman of Uganda has explained above. I’m saying this because the current crisis has overwhelmed everybody in South Sudan because it is affecting all of us physically, economically, politically and socially. It has terribly divided many of our people politically and socially on ethnic lines. Yet the truth must be said. Some of us are academics who analyse things critically and objectively. That way, we can know the truth. What did not come out clearly in Mr Opondo’s justification is the fact that the economy of Uganda is very much intertwined with South Sudan. There are thousands of Ugandans working or doing business in South Sudan. South Sudan buys most of its goods and service such as education and health from Uganda. A perennial insecurity and instability would definitely affect Ugandan economy. As such, there is need to nip it in the bud.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 15:20:51 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015