S. Sudan’s Kiir briefs Museveni on peace deal implementation
August 25, 2019 (JUBA) – South Sudan President, Salva Kiir on Sunday briefed his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni on the progress made in the implementation of the peace agreement especially on the formation of the national army, an official disclosed Sunday.
The minister for the presidency, Mayiik Ayii Deng and director general of external security, Thomas Duoth accompanied Kiir.
Deng said Kiir and Museveni held bilateral talks, with the former praising the Ugandan leader’s effort to restore stability in neighbouring Sudan.
The two leaders, he further said, also discussed construction of the Yei-Kaya highway. Yei-Kaya Road is a major trade route, connecting South Sudan, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The construction project is to be funded by the Ugandan government.
The meeting comes barely a week after the regional bloc (IGAD) convened a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on August 21 to review progress made in the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS).
Museveni played a key role in the signing of the September 2018 peace accord in Addis Ababa, which partially ended South Sudan’s civil war.
The Ugandan leader has, in the past, urged the warring factions in the South Sudan to embrace dialogue for lasting peace to be achieved.
South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 when President Kiir accused his former deputy, Riek Machar of plotting to overthrow his rule, accusations the latter dismissed.
The war has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions of others, prompting the United Nations to rank the country as Africa’s biggest refugee crisis.
(ST)
