Kiir, Museveni to discuss extension of transitional period
July 29, 2022 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir is in Uganda for talks with his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on the proposed extension of South Sudan’s Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU).
Kiir was accompanied by a high-level delegation, comprising of the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Martin Elia Lomoro, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mayiik Ayii Deng, Minister of Interior, Mahmoud Solomon Agok and the Minister of Environment and Forestry, Josephine Napwon.
The spokesperson for the presidency, Ateny Wek Ateny said Kiir would attend the regional Inter-Ministerial conference, on Migration, Environment, and Climate change and also discuss with the Ugandan leader the proposed roadmap that will pave way for a transitional period extension.
“The president is expected to hold sideline meeting with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, one of the guarantors of the Revitalized Peace Agreement to discuss the proposed roadmap that will pave way for the transitional period”, he told the state-owned television (SSBC).
Last week, Kiir and First Vice President, Riek Machar agreed to extend the term of the revitalized peace deal, due to elapses in six months, despite several key provision pending implementation in the September 2018 deal.
Sudan and Uganda are guarantors of South Sudan’s peace agreement.
Kiir, according to Ateny, would also attend discussions by the regional leaders on the adoption of one stand on Nile River dredging, which will be presented at the 27th UN Climate Change conference due in Sharm-el-Sheik, Egypt from November 6-18.
President Kiir and opposition groups signed a peace agreement in 2018 that ended five years of civil war. But the provisions of the deal remain largely unimplemented, and the parties placed February 2023 as the end of the transitional period. The agreement encourages authorities to hold general elections before February 2023.
(ST)