Henry Okello Oryem, the acting foreign affairs minister says the ongoing conflict between Sudan and South Sudan is a security threat to the stability of Uganda. War broke out between the two sister countries over the oil rich Heglic region that is along the border line.
Oryem says that the conflict has led to an influx of several refugees in West Nile region, adding that more are on their way to seek asylum. He made the revelation while making a statement to parliament on Thursday about the conflict. He said government is deeply concerned but declined to divulge details saying the conflict is still sensitive with fresh wounds.
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He said Uganda has thrown its weight behind the African Union and United Nations resolutions as well as play an active role within the IGAD framework in its capacity as the guarantor of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). He noted that Uganda is committed to support a negotiation settlement of the disputes between Sudan and South Sudan.
In particular Uganda is ready to support memorandum of understanding on non aggression, withdrawal of armed forces from each other’s territory and cessation of aerial bombardments. He urged politicians to allow the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be the spokesperson and center of communication on the Sudan-South Sudan conflict.
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Betty Achan, Gulu MP noted how South Sudan helped Northern Uganda realize peace especially during the 2 decades LRA war. She wants Government to think of how to help them to ensure that war does not break out between the two countries. The Shadow Foreign Affairs minister, Jack Wamanga Wamai noted that government ought to have responded faster on the matter to avoid speculation and misguided statements by politicians.
Ugandan army officers have accused Sudan of once again arming the LRA in the wake of a UN and African Union-backed operation to capture Joseph Kony, the Lords Resistant Army rebel leader in Central African Republic. General Aronda Nyakairima, the chief of defense forces was quoted saying that UPDF would not hesitate to help South Sudan if the war broke out. South Sudan became an independent state after its citizens voted to secede from Sudan.
Certain issues between the two neighbors remained unresolved including the sharing oil revenue, demarcation of the border, status of Blue Nile and South Kordofan States and the rights of each other’s citizens.
