The South Sudanese rebel group SPLM-IO has called for the regional bloc IGAD to pressure the Ugandan government to withdraw troops garrisoned in South Sudan in support of the South Sudanese government.

Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni sent troops across the border at Juba's invitation shortly after fighting began in mid-December 2013. Since then, Uganda's military presence has remained a matter of contention at successive rounds of peace talks.

Museveni was reported to have said on Friday that Uganda would pull out its troops only if regional forces from other countries secured the capital Juba. He referred to deployments of Rwandan and Ethiopian forces, which are integrating into the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

This regional component of the UNMISS peacekeeping force, which may reach up to three battalions in strength, is mandated to protect IGAD ceasefire monitors. They are not expressly mandated to defend the capital Juba but may “protect civilians under threat of violence.”

Museveni said Friday at a press conference during a visit to Addis Ababa, “In order to not leave a vacuum we agreed that other IGAD countries should deploy and now they are deploying.”

“I think Ethiopian forces are already there, and Rwanda is there. Once they are ready, and can ensure that at least Juba is not affected ... then we shall go back. There is no big issue.”

In response to these remarks, James Gatdet Dak, spokesman of the SPLM-IO chairman, said that the Ugandan position represents a violation of the cessation of hostilities agreement signed nearly a year ago.

“IGAD should call on Ugandan government to withdraw its troops from South Sudan per the agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) between the two warring parties. Uganda must choose between being a war partner on the side of Salva Kiir and mediator. It shouldn’t be both.”

The Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed last January 2013 requires the Ugandan army to “progressively withdraw… from the theatre of operations in the Republic of South Sudan.” The agreement does not define “theatre of operations.”

Gatdet argued that the presence of Ugandan troops is “prolonging the war.”

“The war would have been over since January if they did not interfere. Kiir and his forces would have been defeated in January and peace and stability would have returned to Juba and other states,” he said.

The SPLM-IO spokesman further argued that the Ugandan troop presence is a threat to the ‘sovereignty’ of South Sudan. He said the push to deploy more regional forces could “regionalize and expand the conflict beyond South Sudanese borders.”

He also reiterated the movement’s stated intention to remove the South Sudanese president from power: “We must work hard to remove the obstacle, which is Salva Kiir.”

File photo