By Spy Uganda Correspondent
Juba: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni yesterday snubbed the signing of the Sudanese peace agreement and instead sent his Prime Minister, Ruhakana Rugunda something that left a couple of other regional leaders wondering how a key leader could miss out on such an event.
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“Yesterday we were told by the head of the southern mediation team Tut Gatluak that the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni will attend the signing ceremony of the peace agreement,” our staff reported, however, we have just seen the Ugandan Prime Minister instead of President Museveni, Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda has just arrived and we are waiting for other regional leaders to arrive at the venue,” she said.
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Several leaders including the presidents of Chad, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan as well as representatives of Egypt, European Union and the United States and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda attended the event.
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Sudan’s power-sharing government and several rebel groups are aiming to formalize a peace agreement aimed at resolving decades of regional conflicts which left millions of people displaced and hundreds dead.
Three major groups signed a preliminary deal in August, two factions from the western region of Darfur and one from the southern region, after months of peace talks hosted by neighbouring South Sudan.
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Another powerful rebel group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led by Abdelaziz al Hilu, which had not participated in initial peace negotiations, agreed last month to hold new talks hosted by South Sudan.
Rebel integration
Sudan has been wracked by simmering conflicts for decades ,after the oil-rich south seceded in 2011, an economic crisis fueled protests that led to the overthrow of veteran President Omar Hassan al Bashir in 2019.
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Sudan’s new civilian and military leaders, who have shared power since then, say ending conflicts is a top priority to help bring democracy and peace to the country in crisis.
The deal sets out terms to integrate rebels into the security forces, be politically represented and have economic and land rights. A new fund will pay $750 million a year for 10 years to the impoverished southern and western regions and the chance of a return for displaced people is also guaranteed.
Analysts have welcomed the agreement but questioned its inclusiveness and comprehensiveness because of how prominent the role of armed groups and the military is.
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Jack Mohamoud Jack, the spokesperson for the al Hilu faction, said his group will not participate in the ceremony but is ready to start separate negotiations with the Sudanese government.
