President Museveni calls for neutral foreign forces to protect Riek Machar in Juba
2 min readKigali: Message from Uganda President Museveni regarding the proposed solution to the conflict in South Sudan
“I arrived safely in Kigali, Rwanda for the 27th African Union Heads of State Summit. Upon arrival, I met the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, with whom we discussed the current situation in South Sudan.
I am of the view that the following three issues be addressed for peace to return to South Sudan. First, a regional force should be assembled to protect Vice President Riek Machar who does not trust the SPLA forces under President Salva Kiir.
Secondly, there must be a cessation of hostilities in Juba. No new fighting should occur.
Third is the question of elections and democracy. Votes will force the factions into alliances. Democracy will force them to work together. Now, they know that they are not accountable to the people.
I, however, oppose the suggestion that an arms embargo be placed on South Sudan. It would create a vacuum and plunge the country into more chaos like we saw in Somalia.
What is happening in South Sudan is sectarian politics, where one partisan community is fighting the other. When you impose an arms embargo, you destroy the local force on which you need to build a strong, integrated national army.”
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