High Level SPLM/SPLA Delegation Meet Ugandan President Museveni on IGAD Peace Agreement Implementation

August 31, 2015 (Nyamilepedia) – A high level delegation from South Sudan’s armed opposition, the SPLM/SPLA, is currently visiting Uganda and has held exclusive high level meetings with the President of Uganda H.E Yoweri Museveni on Saturday.

The meeting with the Ugandan President also included senior members of the Ugandan government including the President’s Security Advisor Gen. Salim Saleh, who has been in constant contact South Sudan’s army Chief and other actors in the region.

The high level delegation was dispatched by the chairman and C-in-C of the movement, Dr Riek Machar Teny, after receiving an invitation from the Ugandan government to discuss issues pertaining to the recently signed IGAD Compromise Peace Agreement, implementation of the agreement, improving bilateral ties and also humanitarian issues.

The movement’s delegation, which arrived in Uganda last weekend, will also meet with community representatives to explain the recently signed IGAD Compromise Peace Agreement and other related aspects of the agreement including it’s implementation.

The high level delegation is led by the movement’s deputy chairman, Gen. Alfred Lado Gore, and the oppositions’ head of Foreign Committee, Amb. Ezekiel Lol Gatkouth among other senior officials from the movement.

The visit is also expected to discuss humanitarian issues affecting displaced people and ways to support the refugees after the peace agreement.

Details of the meeting between the movement’s delegation and the government of Ugandan has not been made public at the time of this report.

However a member of the delegation who also meet with members of the South Sudanese community in Uganda described the meeting between the movement’s delegation and the Ugandan government as “successful”.

He said the meeting was a sign of improvements in relations between the two sides and a support for peace and stability in South Sudan.

Meanwhile in sign of commitment to the implementation of the IGAD peace agreement by regional countries, the Ugandan Chief of Defense Forces, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala told the Kenyan news outlet, The East African, that the Uganda People’s Defense Forces will comply with the directives in the agreement which requires all foreign forces in the war-torn state to leave South Sudan within 45 days.

“We will go with what’s in the agreement, so long as there is no danger to our citizens in Juba. Otherwise if there is any danger… we shall cross that bridge when we get there. But for now, what is in the agreement is what we will comply with,” the General told The East African in a telephone interview.

The general spoke to reporters just one day after the movement’s delegation visit to the Ugandan capital, Kampala, over the weekend.

South Sudanese warring parties declared a Permanent Ceasefire last week as a first part of implementation of the IGAD compromise peace agreement signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

According to the peace agreement the different groups in South Sudan will share power and form a transitional government of national unity which would initiate reforms in the government, improve services provision, unite the different armed groups to form a new national army, draft a new constitution and prepare of new election 60 days before the end of the interim period.

During the Interim period Salva Kiir will remain as the president while  Dr. Riek Machar will become the First Vice President  of the country, however, the two principles will continue to command their forces until the full amalgamation of SPLA into National Defence Force of South Sudan.