South Sudan divided over sending troops to Amisom
By DICTA ASIIMWE
Posted Saturday, August 27 2011 at 18:18
SOUTH SUDAN’S promise to send peacekeepers to Somalia could help bolster its standing in regional politics but critics argue that the country is not yet ready for such an undertaking.
The announcement has however attracted disapproval from both the government and the opposition. An official at the South Sudan consulate in Uganda said the AU needed to request the country to send troops to Somalia. And should that happen, the deployment would be a long term project as the country is still preoccupied with forming its new institutions. “Given that the government at home is still in formation, one cannot conclusively state that we will send troops to Somalia,” the official said.
Moments after Africa’s 54th state was inducted into membership of the African Union on August 15, Foreign Affairs Minister Deng Alor Kuol announced that South Sudan was ready to contribute troops to the AU Mission in Somalia, Amisom.
Information Minister Benjamin Barnaba Marial said he did not have any details regarding the issue, but the execution of such a plan could take time.
Wrong signal
Opposition United Democratic Front leader Peter Abdullah Raman Sule said South Sudan had problems of its own to resolve before getting involved in international causes. While it was important for South Sudan as a member of the international community to contribute to peace and stability in the region, sending troops to Somalia before tackling its own challenges would be sending the wrong signal.
Should the South Sudanese send troops to Somalia, they will have fulfilled the promise by President Salva Kiir on Independence Day that the country would actively participate in building peace in the region.
“The Republic of South Sudan shall be a partner in all human endeavours that promote security, justice, liberty, and prosperity. As South Sudanese we know how it feels to be deprived of freedom and dignity,” President Kiir said.
South Sudan has some 180,000 soldiers in the army, comprised mostly of former rebels and militiamen. The AU peacekeeping force has been in Somalia since 2007 with Uganda and Burundi contributing the bulk of the troops. Nigeria, Rwanda, Ghana and Malawi have not yet sent troops to the country despite promising to do so.
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