IGAD seeks Museveni intervention in S. Sudan dispute

JUBA – The Intergovernmental Authority on Development [IGAD] Special Envoy to South Sudan Dr. Ismail Wais has sought the help of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to end the disagreement among parties that stalled the Transitional Security Arrangements implementation.

Dr.Wais who was in Uganda on Tuesday persuaded President Museveni to use his wisdom in helping South Sudanese leaders to reach an agreement on the command structure of unified forces which has led to a delay in forces graduation.

“This region needs you. With your leadership, South Sudan will be a stronger member of the EAC. Our region has to stand up; we need you to spearhead support of the region to help South Sudan.

“I seek your leadership, guidance, and wisdom in helping the leaders of South Sudan to resolve the deadlock on the sharing of command structure. Help the leaders to expedite the unification and deployment of forces, and help to organize support to implement TSA through logistics, training, capacity building,” said Dr. Wais as quoted by the CHIMPREPORTs.

Dr. Wais made the appeal to Museveni who is one of South Sudan’s peace brokers during a meeting on Tuesday in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. In attendance was Maj. Gen. Charles Tai Gita, Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), J.J Odongo, Ugandan Foreign Minister, and Betty Bigombe, the World Bank Senior Director for Fragility, Conflict, and Violence.

The deadlock

There has been a dispute among parties to the revitalized peace agreement over the sharing in the command structure which has led to the delay in the full implementation of Chapter Two of the security arrangement protocol; critical to the overall peace process in the country.

On August 29, the Minister of Cabinet, Dr. Martin Elia Lomoro told the media that the dispute had been resolved by the principal leaders to enable the go ahead with the formation of the command structure.

“We have now come to the correct approach and it is agreed that we will now do the share of 60/40 percent for the opposing because there is no unified opposition; this is just partners to the agreement. So the opposition will have their 40 percent and they will divide among themselves,” said Dr. Martin.

However, the South Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) under the First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar denied reaching an agreement on the unification of the forces with the government.

Puok Both Baluang, Acting Press Secretary for Dr. Machar revealed that parties had instead agreed on the 50:50 ratio of forces’ contribution between the government and the opposition groups of SPLM-IO and South Sudan Opposition Alliance.

“We strongly refute this false information and also underscore that the issue remains unresolved,” said Baluang, a quoted by Xinhua.

South Sudan was yet to implement key provisions of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (RARCSS) to end violence in the country.

Currently, the country is witnessing subnational conflicts which have claimed lives and displaced a thousand population in dire need of humanitarian assistance, including safe and clean drinking water, food, medicines, and shelters in many parts of South Sudan.