Peace only viable to the conflict in South Sudan: Museveni

April 12, 2017 (KAMPALA) – The Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni has called for an end to the war in South Sudan, stressing that peaceful dialogue was the only viable way of achieving development in the war-ravaged nation.

Museveni made the call during a meeting with a government delegation headed by the first vice president Taban Deng Gai, accompanied on the trip by the senior presidential as well as the special envoy, Nhial Deng Nhial and advisor on economic affairs, Agrey Tisa Sabuni respectively.

The officials were dispatched by President Salva Kiir in what appears to be an attempt to counter the recent visit to Uganda at the invitation of president Museveni by some members of former political detainees led by Rebecca Nyandeng, widow of late John Garang de Mabior, founding leader of the ruling Sudan people’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) to discuss the way to end the conflict in the country.

The Ugandan leader said Gai visited him on Tuesday at the newly-established Kityerera Presidential Farm in Mayuge district and they held a long discussion on shared areas of transport, electricity and also the subject of peace in South Sudan.

“I call upon all people of South Sudan to refrain from violence. The only politically viable way is peace and dialogue to achieve development,” reads a statement posted on Museveni’s official Facebook page

Meanwhile, the South Sudanese delegation, in a statement, said they met with the Ugandan leader and discussed areas of bilateral Cooperation, transport, electricity and the implementation of peace agreement.

The leaders, in the statement, vowed to work towards bringing to an end the condition of South Sudanese refugees currently living in Uganda camps. It did not, however, elaborate further on compromises the government would make.

(ST)