ICRC president calls for political solution to end South Sudan crisis

KAMPALA, Aug. 23– As refugees fleeing South Sudan crisis
continue to enter neighboring Uganda, the president of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer has said that a political
solution is urgently needed to resolve the crisis.

Maurer who visited South Sudan and Uganda told reporters here on Monday
that the solution to the crisis is political rather than military. He urged
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to use his regional influence to push the
rival parties to stop the fighting. “I am deeply convinced that some of the
structural and systematic problems with which we are confronting can be
found if the neighbors and together with the parties in South Sudan play an
important role in a peaceful solution,” Maurer said. “It’s through a
political negotiation that peace has to be found and not us (humanitarian
agencies) can do it. Everybody knows one of the key influencers, one of the
key actors in South Sudan crisis is President Museveni because of his
influences,” Maurer added.

Museveni, under a request by his South Sudan counterpart, Salva Kiir, has
been mediating talks between the conflicting parties. Maurer who met
Museveni later on Monday urged the warring parties to respect international
humanitarian law. Human rights agencies and the UN have accused parties in
the conflict of committing atrocities. “We remind those taking part in the
fighting of their obligations under international humanitarian law and to
take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian injuries and loss of life,”
said Maurer. He said the conflict is also complicated by the poverty
coupled with international pressures on the economy. New figures released
by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office here
indicate that of the 1,338,887 refugees and asylum seekers in Uganda,
1,006,779 are South Sudanese as of Aug. 15.

Humanitarian agencies said the increased influx of South Sudanese refugees
in Uganda has continued to exert pressure on the limited resources
available. According to UNHCR, of the 674.25 million U.S. dollars Uganda
and the UN requested from the international community to cater for the
refugees this year, only 24 percent has been raised. South Sudan descended
into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between Kiir and his
former deputy Riek Machar led to fighting that pitted mostly Dinka ethnic
soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar’s Nuer ethnic group. The 2015 peace
agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the
rival factions resumed fighting in the capital forcing Machar to flee into
exile. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced
millions that have sought refuge in neighboring countries. – XINHUA