{UAH} Ugandan troops to exit South Sudan in two months

February 18, 2014

Ugandan troops to exit South Sudan in two months

By STEPHEN KAFEERO in Kampala

President Museveni visiting troops in Mogadishu. A New Vision photo.

February 18, 2014 [Kampala] — Uganda will withdraw its troops from South Sudan starting April to pave the way for the deployment of an African peace keeping force, Foreign Affairs minister Sam Kuteesa announced Tuesday.

The armed forces will be replaced by the yet to be formed African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC) troops.

“Uganda has no desire to keep her troops on South Sudan soil longer than it is necessary. It is in that context that Uganda has proposed, and the Government of South Sudan agrees, on the deployment of ACIRC, consistent with the decision of the AU in January last month,” Mr Kuteesa said.

“As soon as the ACIRC force comes on board, the first contingent of Ugandan forces will return home. I expect this to be in the shortest period of time, which is two months,” said Mr Kuteesa.

The announcement comes just days after the US, Ethiopia and Khartoum called on Uganda to withdraw its troops from the world’s youngest nation.

Speaking to journalists at the ministry’s headquarters in Kampala Tuesday, Mr Kuteesa said the AU Peace and Security committee was expected to meet soon to work out modalities for deployment of ACIRC in South Sudan.

Genocide

“We believe that the deployment of ACIRC is the most logical way to withdraw from South Sudan, without leaving a security vacuum that can be taken advantage of…” he said.

Countries that have offered to contribute troops to ACIRC include Uganda, Algeria, Angola, Chad, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, South Africa, Sudan, and Tanzania.

Mr Kuteesa, however, dismissed claims that Uganda was forced to withdraw from South Sudan by its development partners.

“We have not been under any pressure to leave South Sudan, but as a regional player, it is prudent that Uganda gives the ACIRC measure a chance.”

“If we had not intervened, genocide was in pipeline like what we saw in Rwanda in 1994 as the international community looked on,” Mr Kuteesa said.

The Presence of UPDF troops in South Sudan has been a prickly factor in the region and threatens to derail the Igad led peace negotiations in Addis Ababa.

While Washington said last week that UPDF must leave South Sudan to allow citizens there enjoy a future of peace and prosperity they voted for, Khartoum and Ethiopia warned that the UPDF presence in the country was threatening the whole East African countries, and demanded it pulls out its forces.

Uganda deployed its troops to fight alongside President Salva Kiir forces in December, 2013.

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February 18, 2014

Sudan warns Uganda it’s threatening its national security

By MOHAMMED AMIN in Khartoum

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. ©REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

February 18, 2014 [Khartoum] — Sudan has stated that the Ugandan military intervention in South Sudan is threatening Sudan’s national security.

The Sudanese armed forces (SAF) have further warned that the Ugandan military presence in the south is threatening the whole the East African countries, and is demanding Kampala pull out its forces.

Talking to Africa Review on Sunday, SAF spokesman Col. Alswarmy Khalid Saad accused Uganda of attempting to sabotage the relations between Khartoum and Juba.

“Uganda has many hostility actions against Sudan; they are trying to convince the government of South Sudan that they are supporting them while [they claim] we are backing Riek Machar’s forces, but that is incorrect” the spokesman said.

“Our position is very clear that we do not have any intention of militarily intervention in South Sudan” he reaffirmed.

Col. Saad further dismissed accusations by the South Sudan’s national army that Sudan’s air force have violated the Southern space.

“We have no military operations on our border with South Sudan and even the protection of the oilfields is the responsibility of the government of South Sudan” he said.

“We made it very clear that we are supporting the elected government in South Sudan, but we are against any military intervention and concerned of any foreign forces that have been deployed in the south” he added.

Dropping bombs

The Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) said on Saturday that a plane coming from the direction of Sudan dropped some bombs in Upper Nile state, where battles are still going between the government and rebels.

The SPLA Director of Information and Public Relations, Brigadier-General Malaak Ayuen Ajok, told the media in Juba that the bombs were dropped by an Antonov plane in Maban area in Upper Nile state.

Gen. Ajok also said there was a separate aerial attack in Maban County, still in Upper Nile State.

The SPLA has however confirmed continued fighting in parts of Upper Nile State.

Kampala in the meantime has made clear it won’t withdraw its forces from South Sudan.

The US had recently asked Uganda to withdraw its forces.

The rebel side of Dr Machar has been insisting on the withdrawal of the Ugandan troops as a precondition of unlocking the peace talks being hosted in Addis Ababa.

Sudan and Uganda have traded accusations of supporting rebels in each of their countries.

The fighting in South Sudan is still ongoing despite the ceasefire agreement and the continuous talks between the warring parties.

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Gwokto La'Kitgum

"Even a small dog can piss on a tall Building", Jim Hightower