Uganda, S. Sudan to sign pact on UPDF presence

By Steven Candia

The governments of Uganda and South Sudan are to carry out periodic reviews and sign another Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will determine whether the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) remains or pulls out of the war-torn country.

Speaking from his base in Juba, the commander of the UPDF Joint Task Force (JTF) in South Sudan, Col. Muhanga Kayanja, Tuesday said the review will be held after three months to evaluate the progress on the ground.

“We will want to assess the progress and see whether the threats still exist,” Kayanja said, adding that the findings will determine whether the army continues to stay in South Sudan or not though there is still uncertainty as to which of the two will precede the other.

“I think the signing of the MoU will come before the review process,” he said. Both countries have a subsisting MoU which among others provides for the presence of UPDF in South Sudan.

The UPDF moved into South Sudan on December 20 and plunging into genocide, to protect national and regional security interests, given the Kony threat.

The UPDF in South Sudan effective today plans to hold a series of activities in Juba and Bor as part of the Tarehe Sita (February 6) celebrations, starting with the cleaning of the Juba Teaching Hospital and Konyokonyo market, culminating with activities in Bor. Fighting broke out in Juba on December 15.