
South Sudan Civil Society Forum – Press Release (17.09.2018)



NEW YORK, USA, September 17, 2018 – There is a powerful wind of hope blowing across the Horn of Africa region, said UN chief António Guterres on Sunday, in Saudi Arabia to witness the signing of a peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea, ending decades of simmering conflict.
Saudi Arabia facilitated the agreement, and in a message on Twitter, the Foreign Ministry said that the accord, signed in Jeddah “is a historic milestone for the peoples of Ethiopia and Eritrea, and will contribute to strengthening security and stability in the region at large”.
“The signature of the peace agreement between the President of Eritrea and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia is indeed a historic event,” said the Secretary-General, speaking at a press conference following the signing in Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city, on the Red Sea coast, with Foreign Minister Adel Aljubeir.
“We have seen a conflict that has lasted for decades, ending, and that has a very important meaning in a world where we see, unfortunately, so many conflicts multiplying, and lasting forever,” added Mr. Guterres.
He expressed his “deep appreciation” for the role played by Saudi Arabia, before paying tribute “on one hand to the courage, the vision, the wisdom of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia – who has had the capacity to overcome enormous resistance from the past and open a new chapter in the history of his country – and also the way the President of Eritrea has promptly responded to his peace initiatives.”
The thaw in relations between the neighbouring countries, who fought a bloody, unresolved war in the late 1990s, began in earnest in June, when Ethiopia’s newly-elected leader, Abiy Ahmed, made peace overtures to his counterpart, which have now come to fruition.
Seizing on the implications for the whole region, Mr. Guterres said that the agreement meant that “there is a wind of hope blowing in the Horn of Africa. It is not only the peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea – it is the fact that tomorrow and the day after tomorrow we will have, here in Saudi Arabia, the President of Djibouti and the President of Eritrea – two countries that have also been at odds with each other.”
According to news reports, Eritrea and Djibouti announced on Friday that they would also normalize diplomatic relations with each other following a falling out on the border, in 2008, which left several dead and resulted in prisoners being taken on both sides.
The UN chief also noted the peace agreement between the President and his former Vice President in South Sudan, that was signed on Thursday – in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa – as another indicator of real diplomatic movement across the Horn of Africa and its borders.
“I want to say that this window of hope is enormously important in a world where, unfortunately, hope has been very scarce,” added the Secretary-General.








There are something special, that there are signing of the revitalized Agreement for the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan of 2018, as the failure of the 2015 agreement are lingering. As the South Sudanese stakeholders has fought in-between them since June 2016.
What is significant is that the Ugandan counterpart has been so involved with soldiers and military equipment, as they have also involved themselves in the midst of the peace agreements. That seems like counter-punching, as Yoweri Kaguta Museveni are both bringing weapons and at the same time talking peace. Something that isn’t fitting.
While President Salva Mayardiit Kiir of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) or the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) have accepted this and used his friendship with Museveni, who has promised to help even with arms in the middle of arms embargo. Therefore, we can wonder why this news are coming, if the SPLA/M or Kiir was serious about a peace-deal, why have he hired Museveni to train snipers?
“Kampala/Addis Ababa, September 15, 2018 (SSNA) — Ugandan-trained South Sudanese snipers have arrived in Juba on Saturday night, a former Ugandan intelligence officer told the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) in Kampala. The new allegation comes two days after South Sudan’s warring factions signed a power-sharing deal” (…) “James further disclosed that Kiir and Museveni secretly flew the 1300 new snipers to Juba Saturday night and that the snipers are now divided into two groups strategically stationed around Juba. He also stated that new South Sudanese soldiers could soon arrive in Warrap and Buliisa district” (South Sudan News Agency – ‘1300 snipers arrive in Juba as South Sudanese celebrate peace deal’ 15.09.2018 link: http://southsudannewsagency.org/index.php/2018/09/15/1300-snipers-arrive-in-juba-as-south-sudanese-celebrate-peace-deal/).
It is a massive amount to have 1300 newly trained snipers to come as they government are celebrating the peace-deal. Seems more like they have trained new brigades to await their enemies to relent and relax their positions, before firing on all cylinders. Because, why spend fortunes and pay the Uganda People’s Defense Force for weapons training and flying them in, right after signing a new peace deal.
For me that is weird, as the trust levels should not be to get new highly trained brigades, but show prosperity for the newly created peace-agreement, as building up the measures within it. Kiir could have shown capacity and measures where he was seriously thinking of peace. As there are already reported breaches of cease-fire in Yei. Therefore, not like Kiir are progressing, more like looking for his opposition to lay low and find their weakness, while building yet another brigade. Stalling for time.
It is not a sign of confidence with 1300 newly trained snipers. That is more a sign of worry, as the UPDF and South Sudan Defence Force (SSDF), the former Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) are still active together, in both arms and training. As Museveni are participating in the mediation and sharping the knives behind closed doors.
I have never trusted the man, there was talk of 300 trained snipers, but now the total number are estimated to be 1300. That is a giant amount of highly trained killers for the government. They wouldn’t have this specialized soldiers, if they didn’t see it fit. They are clearly preparing for something, which we don’t know. Peace.

“People say I’m a dictator but I don’t know how I dictate. I must be one of the best dictators in the world” – Yoweri Kaguta Musveni (15.09.2018).
Today, speech or Press Conference on the 15th September 2018. That wasn’t following his intention or whatever reason he decided to hold this. Because President Museveni are really on the bounds and feels hurt by the pressure preceding because of the Post-Arua By-Election aftermath.
“Of course, we knew that these items were growing in number. However, we did not anticipate that evil minded people would want to kutokooza (Runyankore ─ for something bad like a fly falling into one’s food or drink) this success story, to turn something good into an instrument of killing Ugandans” (Museveni, 15.09.2018).
This speech and this sort of affair today is more forged spin from the President. As he is trying to look better than he really is and people has seen it all before, but more like he has to because he knows Bobi Wine aka Robert Kyagulanyi are pressuring him from Washington D.C. The quotes and pledges are not trustworthy.
Not like he couldn’t help himself lying to the public:
“The NRM is expert in using guns. There are few organisations in the world that can use guns as well as the UPDF but we never kill people extra-judicially” (Museveni, 15.09.2018).
As we know perfectly well, how the NRM, the Army (UPDF), the Special Force Command (SFC) and the Police Force (UPF) have been killing extra-judicially around the nation. In Arua there was the driver of Bobi Wine, in Mityana after and also in Rukungiri. That is just a few of the people the NRM and the soldiers has killed over the year, extra-judicially. What is new, is that the international media actually cares, as Abiriga, Kaweesi, Kirumira and the other big-shots have also been taken out without anyone charged for these assassinations. Together with the killings of woman in Entebbe and the Muslim Clerics. There are so many killings and so little results to show for, other than the intimidation and the usage of force against civilians have appeared without any consequences. That is the worry and the speech of Museveni today, haven’t changed that.
So after hearing stuff like that, that can so easily be debunked as a solid lie.
That is why I have hard time taking him seriously, as he thinks he can sugarcoat everything. As he can put a few numbers, a few name-calling and also speak ill of the opposition. Also, the continued pressure on the CCTV cameras that will solve everything, even more micro-management of the Security Operations in Uganda.
We can really see, that he is just trying to damage control, thinking this is wise. I don’t know whom of the Presidential Advisors or in-charge of his PR that thinks these recent speeches has spread his message. If has done it on his own, he has really shot himself in the foot. As the reality is that the trust in the authorities isn’t built in his speeches, but actual feeling of safety and also seeing less of the military intimidating presence in the streets. However, that is most likely not happening in the era of Museveni.
The man trying make people feel safe, was actually not long ago ordering sharp-shooters for the Members of Parliament, which they have recently said “no” too. Therefore, it is ironic that Museveni have been talking about amounts of cars, motorcycles and cellphones in his Republic, as well as the method of communication of the Police Officers. As the micro-management continues from the President.
“The pigs that have doomed their future by shedding the blood of innocent Ugandans, have only themselves to blame for their eternal damnation” (Museveni, 15.09.2018).
Surely, if Bosco thinks these Pressers are wise, it is not. The President has to act differently, but most likely he will not. The Perfect Dictator will not deliver anything, he rather lie to the public and try to peddle it in his favor. However, people shouldn’t let that happen, as we know the Security Organizations are not working for the people, but for him. That is why he will not find out the reality of Arua or the extra-judicial killings. Because that might hurt him directly and his cronies. Peace.







