Museveni to attend signing of Uganda peace ceremony in S. Sudan
March 8, 2008 (JUBA) — Ugandan president hailed southern Sudan government efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace settlement in northern Ugandan. He also reaffirmed that he would attend personally the ceremony of the signing of the peace agreement.
Sudanese First Vice President and president of Southern Sudan government, Salva Kiir Mayadrit wrapped on Saturday a two-day visit to Entebbe. The Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni had invited Mayadrit to meet him.
Luka Biong, minister of presidential affairs in the southern Sudan government, told Sudan Tribune, that the visit was very successful. He said that President Museveni hailed Southern Sudan President and Vice-President efforts to bring peace in northern Uganda.
“Museveni congratulated the leadership and the people of Southern Sudan for the success of peace talks. He further praised President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Marchar efforts for peace in Uganda” said Luka Biong.
He further reiterated his readiness to come to Juba in order to sign the final peace agreement with the leader of rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) Joseph Kony in Juba.
The Ugandan government and rebel delegations are to reconvene in Juba on March 12, to put some final touches on implementation schedule of the Final Peace Agreement expected to be signed in Juba by both President Yoweri Museveni of the Republic of Uganda and Joseph Kony of LRA/M.
JOINT COOPERATION
Salva Kiir and Museveni discussed further the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the political developments in the neighbouring Kenya.
Luka Biong said the two parties welcomed the power sharing agreement reached by the president Mwai Kibaki and his opposition rival Raila Odinga. The agreement will create the post of prime minister for Odinga, 63 — a former political prisoner who says Kibaki cheated him of the December 27 presidential vote by fraud.
Kiir also discussed with the Ugandan Prime Minister, Apolo Nsibambi, the implementation of joint routes projects to link southern Sudan and Uganda. They also tackled ways to boost the joint cooperation in the fields of heath, education, culture and media.
President Salva Kiir has signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement on transport and communication, health, culture and media between Southern Sudan and Uganda. The agreement also stipulates to provide southern Sudanese in the Ugandan universities the same facilities as Ugandan students in term of services and university tuitions fees.
Before his departure to Uganda Salva Kiir, on Wednesday 5 February, attended ceremony of breaking ground to begin the construction of Juba-Nimule 192 kilometres road that costs seventy million US dollars.
The US funded Juba-Nimule road connects Juba on the eastern bank of the Nile to the Ugandan border in the south and serves as a principal supply line for moving both goods and people.
Nimule-Juba road and Juba-Kaya road are going to allow free trading between Uganda and Southern Sudan.
SOUTHERN SUDANESE STUDENTS
Kiir also addressed a gathering of around 1500 southern Sudanese student in the Imperial Resort Beach hotel Entebbe. He urged them to remain united and to work hard in order to enable them selves to participate in the “war for development”.
Kiir reiterated SPLM commitment to implement the peace agreement. He added that the current row over Abyei would be resolved peacefully.
He further said that Abyei belongs to Dinka Ngok but Misseriya tribe has the right to use the land for grazing their animals and no one can chase them away but that does means it belongs to the Northern part of Sudan, he added.
Kiir exhorted southern Sudanese students in Uganda “to respect natives of this country, and to accord them respect.”
“I want you to study very well with them without creating problems;” he added.
The President of Southern Sudan came to Uganda on special invitation from Yoweri Kaguto Museveni president of republic of Uganda where he were received by Ugandan Minister of Defence Amama Amabazi.
Kiir was companied by four ministers from government of Southern, Luka Biong minister for presidential affairs, Samson Kwaja Minister for Agriculture, Gabriel Marial Benjamin minister for regional cooperation, the SPLA chief of staff Gen. Oyai Deng Ajak and deputy commander in chief of operation Major general Hoth Mai.
Sudan Tribune correspondent in Uganda, Mayen Daniel Mangok, has contributed to this article.
(ST)