Uganda’s president has warned South Sudan’s rebel boss that regional leaders will unite to “defeat” the former vice president accused of mounting a failed coup in the world’s newest country if he rejects a ceasefire offer.
Speaking in in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, Yoweri Museveni said a regional bloc known as IGAD had given Riek Machar “four days to respond” to the government’s ceasefire offer.
“If he doesn’t we shall have to go for him, all of us,” he said.
A meeting of East African leaders said last week it “welcomed the commitment“ by South Sudan’s government to cease hostilities against rebels and urged both sides to start peace talks by today.
Machar has instead called for a negotiated ceasefire that includes a way to monitor compliance.
The United Nations Security Council issued a statement today reiterating its support for IGAD’s “efforts to bring about peace” and insisted that the warring factions begin talks “without preconditions”.
Violence since mid-December in South Sudan has displaced up to 180,000 people, the United Nations said.
Uganda’s influence is strong in South Sudan, where special forces from the neighbouring country have been deployed at the request of President Salva Kiir, raising questions about the impartiality of Uganda as a possible mediator in a conflict that many fear could lead to civil war.
But France’s ambassador to the UN, who is also the Security Council president, said South Sudan’s government had the right under international law to seek help from neighbouring countries to defend itself.
“There is a government in South Sudan, which has the right to ask for another country to support its military efforts,” said Gerard Araud.
Mr Museveni and Mr Kiir are strong allies and the Ugandan leader is believed to be concerned about the security implications for his country of a violent takeover of South Sudan’s government.
For years brutal warlord Joseph Kony, who once operated in the expansive jungle that now falls within South Sudan, was a source of tension between Uganda and Sudan.
Sudan’s government faced persistent allegations of supporting Kony’s rebellion against Uganda’s government. Kony was forced to flee and is thought to have fled to Congo and then Central African Republic, as the south moved closer to independence from Sudan.
South Sudan broke away peacefully from Sudan in 2011 after a decades-long fight for independence, giving Uganda a new sense of border security. Uganda, one of the South’s strongest supporters in its quest for independence, denies it has taken sides in its latest conflict, saying Ugandan forces provided security as Western countries and others safely evacuated their citizens from South Sudan.
Ugandan military spokesman Lt Col Paddy Ankunda insisted that Ugandan forces were stationed only at the international airport in Juba to “facilitate evacuation of civilians”.
But United Nations workers in Juba say Ugandan troops have been guarding the only bridge that crosses the Nile River.
Although Juba is now calm, unrest persists in other parts of the country. Col Philip Aguer, the South Sudanese military spokesman, said although there was “no major fighting” over the weekend, tension remained because “Machar has not committed himself to a ceasefire. We’ve not seen one”.
UN spokesman Martin Nesirky, however, said there was heavy fighting on Sunday in Malakal, the capital of the oil-producing state Upper Nile.
He said that while Mr Kiir’s government remained in control, the UN mission reported “significant battle damage in the city and widespread looting” and 22,000 civilians took shelter in a UN compound there.
Pro-Machar forces still control Bentiu, the capital of South Sudan’s other oil-producing state, Unity, and renegade troops are poised to attack Bor, the contested capital of Jonglei state, according to Col Aguer.
In Washington, US State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said secretary of state John Kerry and other senior officials had been in regular contact with leaders in the region and in South Sudan to push for an immediate end to hostilities to allow a mediated political dialogue and humanitarian access for people in need.
“We have folks on the ground encouraging the parties to come and start negotiations in the coming days, but it’s a very complicated, tenuous situation.” Ms Harf said. “Obviously, our first priority is keeping our folks safe, helping them leave the country.”
The United Nations is scrambling to bolster its peacekeeping force in South Sudan from 8,000 troops and police to nearly 14,000, in part by transferring forces from missions in other vulnerable African countries.
Mr Nesirky said 73 Bangladeshi police who had been serving in the UN Mission in Congo arrived in South Sudan last week and Nepalese police serving in Liberia were expected to arrive later this week.