Uganda’s Museveni says Sudan’s split a result of attempts to force Arab identity

November 18, 2011 (KAMPALA) – The Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni blamed what he described as Arabisation policies by Khartoum for the eventual secession of South Sudan which took place this year.

“The word Sudan means ‘land of black people’. Sudan is an Afro-Arab country. The mistake of the Khartoum government was to manage it as an Arab county,” Museveni said on Friday at a press conference with South Sudan president Salva Kiir who is on a two-day visit to Kampala.

South Sudan officially became an independent nation last July after its citizens voted in a referendum earlier this year overwhelmingly in favor of splitting from the north. The exercise was stipulated as part of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which ended more than two-decades of civil war.

While southerners were given the right to chose to create their own state, the ex-foes agreed to make the choice of unity an attractive one.

But South Sudan officials claimed that the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) insistence on Islamic Sharia’a law made it impossible to continue as one country.

The Ugandan president echoed the sentiments in his remarks.

Museveni underscored that South Sudan’s secession was a result of the failure by Khartoum to promote unity, in accordance with agreements overseen by the United Nations and Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

“The people of Sudan voted twice. For anyone to go against their wishes he must be out of his mind. Uganda cannot support people who are out of their minds,” he said.

He called on Sudan and South Sudan to work towards resolution of all outstanding issues such as Abyei, border demarcation, oil and popular consultation in Blue and South Kordofan.

Museveni slammed recent reports of aerial bombardments by Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) inside South Sudan.

“Bashir must stop organizing aggression against the south. He should also deal with the agreements in the north,” he said.

The remarks by Museveni will likely deepen tensions with Khartoum.

Just last month Sudan’s First Vice President Ali Osman Taha accused Musevini of seeking a regime change in Khartoum as part of his broader agendas to halt Arab advances in Africa.

Sudan and Uganda have long been at odds over the latter’s support for south’s independence, position on the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for Bashir and hosting some Darfur rebel figures.

The Ugandan president also promised support to South Sudan’s request to join the East African Community (EAC).

“Uganda will support the government of the Republic of South Sudan to join the Community and we will receive her with open hands.”

(ST)