African countries asked to help South Sudan attain peace

Riek Machar (www.kfm.co.ug)

By Ritah Kemigisa

Uganda and other neighbouring countries of South Sudan where there is renewed deadly fighting have been asked to support and guide the youngest nation in Africa.

Over the weekend, close to 30 people were killed in the clashes that erupted after South Sudan’s Vice President Riek Machar’s rivals declared that they had overthrown him as the head of the party and its military forces.

The fighting by the two rival military factions of Sudan’s People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) threatens to destroy the 2018 peace agreement and power-sharing deal.

Now Speaking to KFM, Joseph Ochieno, a pan Africanist says the situation in South Sudan needs urgent attention and is as such asking neighbouring countries to intervene.

He also attributes the crisis to the nature of its Geopolitics which are largely based on ethnicity.

“Every neighbour, whether its Uganda, Kenya or Ethiopia or greater Sudan with a mere interest in South Sudan that seeks to enjoy and dine on the misery of their neighbours is a terrible neighbour, South Sudan needs to be supported and guided rather than being used as an economic and political puppet,” said Mr Ochieno.

Ochieno is meanwhile asking the government to pick the following lessons from the South Sudan crisis.

 “The obvious lesson is that any family, unity or political entity without clear political leadership and mandate will always be fragile. Any identity which seeks to dominate another, whatever the composition of that identity in Africa should be ashamed of themselves,” added Mr Ochieno.

The Regional African trade body IGAD has since called on the two rival military groups to open the path for dialogue.

South Sudan has struggled with war, famine and chronic political and economic crisis since celebrating its hard-fought independence from Sudan in July 2011.

Machar’s allies on Friday dismissed his ouster as a “failed coup”, insisting he was still in full control of the party.

 Machar himself accused “peace spoilers” of engineering his removal.