Politics

Days after power sharing agreement, South Sudan president integrates rival’s officers into unified army

Published

2 years ago

April 13, 2022

A few days after signing an agreement to create a unified armed forces command, the President of South Sudan, Salva Kir, has announced the integration of officers loyal to the opposition into the unified army.

The move by Kir is a key provision of the 2018 peace deal with the hope that it will ease the country’s recovery from years of war which has dogged the nation since independence in 2011.

The recent civil war which is in its fifth year, has seen the country struggle to draw a line between forces loyal to President Kiir and his main rival and former rebel leader, Vice President Riek Machar, a war that has left nearly 400,000 people dead.

Since the 2018 agreement, frequent eruption of violence have continued to raise fears of a return to full-blown conflict, as the two sides remained adamant and uncompromising over major issues, including the unification of their forces.

But in a rare show of willingness to compromise, the duo sealed a power sharing deal on April 3, agreeing to a 60-40 distribution in favour of Kiir’s side of leadership posts in the army, police and national security forces.

Kir’s announcement late on Tuesday, realed out a series of presidential decrees to replace senior officials in the military, police and security services, with members of Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition, (SPLM-IO).

The decrees, according to the President, came into force on April 12, and under the terms of the agreement, the graduation of the unified forces should be completed within two months.

“The SPLA-IO welcomes the decision. It is really long-awaited. We just hope that this will pave a way forward to the completion of the unification process,” Machar’s military spokesman, Lam Paul Gabriel, said after the President’s announcement.

Related Topics:Agreement civil war Featured South Sudan

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Politics

Zambian govt says no plan to remove Christian nation clause from constitution

Published

15 hours ago

December 10, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Zambian Vice President Mutale Nalumango has maintained that the ruling party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), has adopted an inclusive approach to constitutional amendments.

Nalmango made the reiteration while answering questions before the National Assembly following concerns raised by Bwacha Member of Parliament, Sydney Mushanga, who questioned the government’s alleged intentions to tamper with constitutional provisions without engaging stakeholders.

Vice President Nalumango emphasised that the government’s guiding principles were firmly rooted in Christian values, and clarified that the government had no plans to remove clauses like the Christian nation clause.

She declared, “The government espouses Christian values, and we want to make that clear,” calling for an end to discussions based on false claims. “Christianity serves as the foundation for our values”.

She also confirmed her commitment to consultative decision-making. She stated, “Government has made it clear that it will first amend non-contentious clauses of the constitution in consultation with the stakeholders.”

In response to mounting pressures within the country following years as one- and later two-party states, the Zambian constitution was changed in 1991 to allow the reintroduction of a multiparty system.

Under the terms of the constitution, the president appoints the vice president, the chief justice, and members of the High Court on the advice of the Judicial Services Commission.

Politics

Uganda begins withdrawal of troops from eastern Congo DR

Published

16 hours ago

December 10, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Uganda has started the withdrawal of 1,000 troops deployed for a regional peacekeeping mission in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

According to a statement released by the military, Uganda’s decision not to extend the mandate of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) past December 8 prompted the withdrawal.

At its meetings in Arusha, Tanzania, the CDF affirmed the DRC’s decision and advised the defence ministers of the East African Community (EAC) to formally terminate the EACRF’s operations in the country’s vast eastern region, effective December 8.

UPDF’s contingent spokesperson, Capt. Ahmad Hassan Kato, “UPDF will ensure to expedite the pull-out of its forces and equipment within the approved timelines as enshrined in the extraordinary meeting of EAC CDFS (Chief of Defense Forces) held on December 6.”

“The Uganda contingent urges all armed groups (in the Eastern DRC) to facilitate the withdrawal of the UPDF troops by observing a total ceasefire to allow the forces to exit the mission area safely,” said Kato.

Aside from EAC forces, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as (MONUSCO), has around 12,400 troops in the Congo, with a cost of over $1 billion per year.

Lately, there has been an upsurge in violence in Congo, DR. High rates of civilian casualties and displacement have been caused by hostilities with neighbouring countries, political violence, extrajudicial killings by security forces, and conflicts between militant groups over territory and natural resources.

According to the United Nations, more than 100 armed groups and local militias operate in the eastern DRC.