- MEETING COMES AFTER UGANDA’S PUSH FOR AUPSC FIELD MISSION IN SUDAN FAILED DUE TO INSECURITY
If all goes well, President Yoweri Museveni is summoning a crisis meeting with African Heads of State (AU summit) to discuss the conflict in Sudan.
The virtual meeting according to Inspectors in State House is supposed to take place on 19 or 20th of this month.
The meeting according to Inspectors comes after a failed attempt by the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) members at the level of ambassadors to travel to Sudan to assess the situation.
We understood that Uganda currently chairs the PSC for the month of May through it’s AU PR Amb. Rebecca Amuge Otengo who’s also the country’s ambassador to Addis Ababa Ethiopia.
We’re told Uganda as a chair, had proposed to undertake a Field Mission of PSC to the Sudan but this has been made impossible due to the fighting.
“We’re proposing that instead of undertaking a field mission to Sudan, the president chairs a virtual meeting of AUPSC at the level of Heads of State to consider the situation in Sudan. The meeting is going to provide an opportunity for the council to receive a briefing from the concerned stakeholders and provide leadership and coordination of effort so as to avoid duplication of effort in this regard” an inspector said, quoting a letter by AUPSC chairperson Amb. Otengo addressed to Foreign Affairs PS Vincent Waiswa Bagiire.
The war in Sudan broke out on April 15 this year between SAF and RSF both troops belonging to president Gen. Bruhan and his hitherto vice president Gen. Hemeti respectively.
On the following day April 16, we understood that AUPSC held a meeting to discuss the situation. The PSC notes that the fighting has now taken what it calls a dangerous path bordering on a civil war leading to many loss of lives and property.
The PSC in that meeting, condemned the fighting and called for immediate ceasefire without any conditions and allow negotiations.
The meeting also tasked the AU Commission chairperson to continue using his office to reach out to the waring parties in order to facilitate dialogue and peaceful settlement of the conflict. The same commission boss was tasked to keep updating the Council on the situation and also implementation of the communique made on April 16.
Not only has AU taken these initiatives, even other stakeholders like the UN, Arab League and the US have been engaging the groups with a view of achieving cessation of hostilities in Sudan.
We’re now informed, the president is also planning to have a meeting of AUPSC members so that the same is discussed. His PPS Dr. Kenneth Olusegun Omona is said to be coordinating this task.
It should be recalled that Museveni has been engaging leaders in Sudan to cease fighting, the latest meeting having been with a special envoy for the chairman of the transitional council of Sudan at State House. The president asked the leaders to lay down their weapons and allow the people to elect their leaders since the country belongs to them not the armed forces.
