Uganda calls for intervention in South Sudan crisis as refugee figures soar

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Top Ugandan government officials have called for international intervention including military to help end the South Sudan crisis that has forced over 1.5 million people to flee to neighboring countries.

Moses Ali, Uganda’s First Deputy Prime Minister while speaking at a South Sudan refugee event held here in the northern Ugandan district of Adjumani on Thursday, said the world should not just look on as fighting continues to cause mayhem.

He urged the UN Security Council to institute tough measures to ensure that the warring parties are brought to book in a bid to end the fighting.

Hilary Onek, Uganda’s minister of disaster preparedness, refugees and relief while speaking at the same function said the South Sudanese leadership should be held responsible for the ongoing violence.

He said diplomatic pressure should be put on the warring parties to ensure that they stop the violence.

He said military intervention could be an option that can be adopted by the regional member countries if they are in unison with the decision.

He said the Gambian model, where a West African regional body deployed troops in the country to end the crisis should be adopted in eastern Africa.

“The Gambian model would be a viable option if all the countries are united on enforcing democracies and peace in their neighborhood,” Onek said.

There have been various regional efforts to help end the South Sudan crisis but fighting has persisted.

Fighting erupted more than three years ago between rival forces — the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) loyal to President Salva Kiir and the SPLA in Opposition backing former First Vice-President Riek Machar.

According to UN figures over 1.5 million South Sudanese have fled their country due to the fighting. Of these over 700,000 fled to neighboring Uganda.

Onek said despite the brunt of hosting a huge influx of refugees, Uganda will not close its doors to the refugees seeking safety.

“If they are running away from being killed, we will give them sanctuary so that they should spare their lives,” he said.

Uganda says it needs financial support to cater for the huge number of refugees it is hosting from neighboring countries. The east African country, according to the UN refugee agency, hosts over one million refugees from South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Enditem

Source: Xinhua/NewsGhana.com.gh

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