November 26th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – The United Nations has blamed South Sudan’s neighbors, Kenya and Uganda, for failure of the ongoing peace process, the world body said in a report on Friday.
South Sudan government and opposition groups signed a peace agreement last year to end the war. The parties were expected to form a unity government in May but because most critical pre-transitional tasks needed before the government formation were not in place, the parties have since kept extending the pre-transitional period.
A UN panel of experts on South Sudan in a report on Friday said Kenya and Uganda played roles that has contributed to what it said was “a dangerous stalemate” in the world’s youngest nation.
The report said Uganda deployed troops in Yei River State last month, something it said amounts to violation of the international arms embargo on South Sudan. The report added that “Uganda’s involvement emboldens the hard line positions” of the South Sudan government on peace process.
The report further said Kenya – for its part – has “not demonstrated sufficient political and diplomatic will to consistently support the peace process.”
It further criticized Ethiopia for failing to use leadership roles in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to exert regional leverage on South Sudan’s antagonists.
“The government, in particular, has benefited from the inconsistent approach of the region,” the panel notes in regard Salva Kiir to administration.
“The bilateral meetings between the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, and Mr Kiir in Nairobi on 1 and 2 July 2019 have not led to the sustained presence and pressure necessary to fully implement the pre-transitional provisions of the agreement,” it said.
