Foreign Affairs Minister Ramadan Mohamed Abdallah Goc in a press conference, described the visit as successful highlighting the positive outcomes of the discussions.

By James Chatim

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Friday held discussions with various South Sudanese political parties including representatives from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In-Opposition (SPLM-IO).

According to a statement by the Presidential Press Unit, the meeting aimed at promoting dialogue and cooperation among South Sudanese factions in a bid to enhance peace and stability.

President Museveni together with the signatories to 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) evaluated the current status of its implementation.

Museveni, who is among the guarantors of a 2018 peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war, held closed-door discussions with President Salva Kiir on Thursday. Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdallah Goc said that the country’s leadership had assured Museveni of its commitment to implement the peace agreement.

The Ugandan leader was on a two-day state visit of South Sudan, where they spen time with his host sharing bilateral trade ideas and the country’s security.

Speaking briefly to the media, the Foreign Affairs Minister Ramadan Mohamed Abdallah Goc, described the visit as successful highlighting the positive outcomes of the discussions.

South Sudan’s political landscape remains fragile and recent violence between government troops and armed groups allied to the opposition have escalated tension.

Uganda last month deployed troops to South Sudan to support the government, but it was criticized by South Sudan’s main opposition party SPLM-IO, whose leader Riek Machar is under house arrest on charges of incitement.

Meanwhile, the government accused Machar of plotting rebellion, a claim his allies deny.

President Yoweri Museveni arrived in South Sudan on Thursday following an invitation from his counterpart, President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

Museveni has been a key mediator in regional peace efforts, including brokering South Sudan’s 2018 peace deal that ended a brutal civil war. However, Uganda’s recent military deployments in South Sudan have drawn criticism from opposition figures, who accuse Kampala of meddling in internal affairs.

In a statement posted on X, Museveni said he looked forward to discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation between the two nations.

“I look forward to our discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation between our two nations,” he said.

South Sudan’s deteriorating security situation has raised attracted voices across the region, with the United Nations and African Union warning that the latest developments, if unchecked risked affecting the country’s 2018 peace agreement.

Early March, an armed group allied to the First Vice President attacked a UN helicopter on an evacuation mission in Nasir, Upper Nile County, which led to the death of a national army commander as well as 27 soldiers.

The government and key officials within the administration would later point fingers to the First Vice President, subsequently leading to his house arrest, and the arrest of many other opposition leaders.

During a meeting with the visiting Panel of the Wise of the African Union on Tuesday, President Kiir assured the African Union of his administration’s commitment to implementing the provisions of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.

The meeting came just days after the President met with United Nations Special Representative for South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom,to discuss recent developments in the country and the growing concerns voiced by UN Secretary-General António Guterres regarding the current situation in South Sudan.

Haysom conveyed the Secretary-General’s deep concern over the ongoing challenges facing the nation, highlighting the urgent need for renewed efforts toward peace and stability.

As various bodies and high-profiled personalities troop to South Sudan to promote de-escalation of conflict, political analyst James Loligo views Museveni’s involvement as a move that could either defuse tensions or deepen suspicions in the country, considering the role Uganda has played in the security situations in the country, including in the past.

“Museveni has been both a peace broker and a power player in South Sudan’s affairs. If he can mediate a solution that reverses tensions and bring political sanity, it will be a major step toward reconciliation. But if he backs Kiir’s stance too strongly, it could trigger further instability,” Loligo told The City Review in an exclusive interview.

As calls for diplomacy, dialogue and de-escalation takes charge, citizens remain hopeful that the political leaders will have a compromise and return the country back to stability.

“Museveni has been both a peace broker and a power player in South Sudan’s affairs. If he can mediate a solution that reverses tensions and bring political sanity, it will be a major step toward reconciliation,” said Political analyst James Loligo.