Museveni, Ruto skip summit as IGAD urges S.Sudan leaders against war

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IGAD heads of state and government have urged South Sudan leaders to collectively resolve not to take the country back to war by de-escalating and exercising restraint.

The leaders say the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) of 2018 is the cornerstone of the peace process in South Sudan; dialogue and discussion remain the only means for resolving differences.

The heads of state made the call during the 43rd Extraordinary Assembly of The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on March 12, 2025. The virtual event also saw the heads of state urge South Sudan heads of state Salva Kiir Mayardit and his First Vice-President Riek Machar (SPLM-IO) to continue messaging and implement measures to restore confidence.

South Sudan heads of state, Salva Kiir Mayardit (R), and his First Vice-President Riek Machar (SPLM-IO) (L). (File)

They also commended Kiir for ‘his commitment to de-escalating tensions after the Nasir incident’, according to a statement issued by the IGAD Secretariat late on March 12.

South Sudan President, Salva Kiir. (File)

The extraordinary assembly was a response to several events in South Sudan threatening a power-sharing agreement between Kiir and Machar in recent weeks by clashes between their allied forces in the northeastern Upper Nile State.

South Sudan is part of the eight-member IGAD bloc, which is made up of east and the Horn of Africa countries.

The assembly, chaired by Djibouti president Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, was attended by Somalia president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Ethiopian foreign affairs minister Gideon Timothewos, representing prime minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. However, Uganda, which is part of the bloc, was a no-show and had no representative at the meeting, while Kenyan National Security Advisor Monica Juma represented President William Samoei Ruto.

Djibouti's President, Ismail Omar Guelleh, speaks during a press conference after a meeting with France's President at the presidential palace in Djibouti on December 21, 2024, as part of a two-day visit of France's President to Djibouti to celebrate Christmas with the French forces deployed in the country within the framework of the Defense Cooperation Treaty (TCMD). (AFP)

Also present were IGAD executive secretary Workneh Gebeyehu, outgoing African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki, IGAD deputy executive secretary Mohamed Abdi Ware and IGAD special envoy for South Sudan Ismail Wais. AUC chairperson special representative in South Sudan Joram Biswaro, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom, and the Chairs of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) and Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanisms (CTSAMVM) as observers attended the meeting. 

Ugandan commandos deployed

Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba. (File)

Uganda on March 11, 2025, deployed its commandos aka special forces to South Sudan's capital, Juba, to help President Salva Kiir to "secure it", according to Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

Kainerugaba said the operation codenamed 'Mlinzi wa Kimya' which means “The Silent Guardian” is aimed at supporting the South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF).

Muhoozi made the revelations in a post on Social Media X, formerly Twitter, on March 11, 2025.

This is the second time the Ugandan army has deployed in the South Sudanese capital. The UPDF first deployed in South Sudan in December 2013 following the eruption of conflicts to, among other things, help restore peace and stability.

The Nasir incident

The most recent skirmish being a United Nations helicopter being attacked and a crew member killed on a rescue mission in Nasir County in the northeast of the country on Friday last week, an event after which Sudan's president appealed for calm and pledged that his country would "not go back to war".

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said its team was attempting to extract members of the South Sudanese army from the area when their helicopter came under fire, killing a crew member and seriously injuring two others.

A South Sudanese army General, Majur Duk, and other officers were killed in the failed rescue mission, UNMISS said in a statement, saying the incident may constitute a war crime.

Kiir urged citizens to remain calm, stating: "I have said it time and again that our country will not go back to war. Let no one take law into their hands."

"The government which I lead will handle this crisis. We will remain steadfast in the path of peace," he added.

South Sudan, the world's youngest country, ended a five-year civil war in 2018 with a power-sharing agreement between bitter rivals Kiir and Machar.

Presidents appreciated

The assembly also ‘deeply appreciated’ Guelleh, Abiy Ahmed, Ruto, Mohamoud and Museveni, ‘who in their own individual capacities, directly engaged with the leadership of South Sudan and further deployed high-level delegations to Juba to aid in the calming of the situation in Nasir’. 

The leaders also commended regional efforts to promote inclusive peace, particularly the Tumaini Initiative led by Ruto with support from Kiir and urged the mediators and negotiating parties to resume and conclude the talks within the shortest time possible with a view to make the R-ARCSS inclusive and sustainable.

Alarmed by violence, call for investigations

The leaders also decried the deteriorating security conditions in South Sudan, marked by resurgent violence, violations of ceasefire commitments, and a marked increase in violent incidents.

They were alarmed by the arrest of senior SPLM/A-IO military and government officials, which, according to them, has partly fuelled tensions in Juba and elsewhere. They, therefore, called for the immediate release of detained officials, unless credible evidence warrants legal proceedings conducted transparently and following due process.

The assembly, which condemned the killing of General Duk and others, including a UN crew during evacuation, urged the parties to immediately de-escalate tensions, adhere to and respect the permanent ceasefire and prioritise and expedite the implementation of Transitional Security Arrangements by providing the requisite resources promptly.

The assembly urged CTSAMVM to investigate the Nasir clashes and the attack on the UN helicopter to ascertain the facts and ensure accountability for any violations; 

IGAD ministerial bound for Juba 

The assembly asked Guelleh, to constitute an IGAD Ministerial-level sub-committee on South Sudan to engage and monitor the restoration of calm and engagement on the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) concerning the implementation timeline essential tasks including the necessary unification of forces, drafting of the constitution, and preparations for the elections.

⁠According to the statement, the IGAD Ministerial Sub-Committee on South Sudan are supposed to immediately travel to Juba for an assessment on modalities of initiating an inclusive dialogue building on the status of the R-ARCSS and the outcomes of Tumaini Initiative.