Opposition forces led by Riek Machar will resist an IGAD security force in South Sudan, considering their arrival “a declaration of war,” the ousted vice president has warned.
IGAD, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, which counts four of South Sudan’s neighbors as member states, hosted a summit of East African leaders last month to discuss the situation in South Sudan.
In a communiqué at the summit, the leaders “authorized the prompt deployment of a Protection and Deterrent Force” to protect ceasefire monitors as well as “other infrastructures” in South Sudan.
Machar says he has no objection to IGAD ceasefire monitors, but not IGAD troops sent to secure oil fields as proposed earlier by the regional body. He has previously stated his intention to capture oil fields in Upper Nile State in order to deny Juba the revenue from crude production.
In a recent interview with Press TV, the former vice president says the proposed protection of oil fields by foreign troops will be considered “militarily interference” in the conflict in South Sudan.
“The oil is being used to buy arms, to kill us and perpetrate corruption in this country,” Machar says, arguing against the deployment of IGAD forces to South Sudan.
Ugandan and IGAD troops
The Ugandan military was sent to South Sudan in December to help secure towns Juba and Bor as well as key infrastructure in the country. They played a leading role in the defense of Juba in early January and the recapture of Bor later that month.
According to the Defense Minister Kuol Manyang, South Sudan is using oil revenues to pay operational expenses of the army of Uganda, which is a member of IGAD.
Machar’s negotiators demanded in January that the Ugandan troops withdraw from South Sudan. On account of this demand, provisions were included in the ceasefire agreement requiring Ugandan and other allied forces to withdraw from frontline areas.
But the ousted vice president says this agreement was not respected: “Uganda was supposed to withdraw. And they didn’t withdraw. That was a violation of the peace agreement. We have no agreement with Uganda to be present in our country occupying our country.”
Ugandan officials said this week that their forces will not leave South Sudan until IGAD deploys its protection force. The protection force was “envisaged to be on the ground by no later than mid-April,” Seyoum Mesfin, IGAD chief mediator said 13 March.
But it remains now unclear how far the IGAD plans have progressed. A press release by the regional body today explained that two teams of ceasefire monitors arrived in South Sudan since the beginning of April, but made no mention of the protection force.
Effect on the peace process
Machar, who leads the SPLM/A faction headquartered in Nasser, threatens that the deployment of the protection force would derail IGAD’s role in the mediation.
“I rejected and condemned the decision of IGAD to send troops to South Sudan. IGAD cannot send a force to guard our own installations. We are capable to guard our own installations. They even say a deterrent force. Who are they going to deter? Us, not the government,” he said.
He added, “So they are declaring war. They will be asked by their own people, why are you interfering in Sudan? So we are resisting by all means. No deterrent force to South Sudan.
“There are already UN forces nearby, if they want protection of their monitors, they can only increase their components in the UN force but not to be deployed in the oilfields, because then they are militarily interfering in the conflict in South Sudan,” he stated.
Photo: Riek Machar (Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)
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Report: Machar never ordered commanders to stand down after ceasefire (6 April)
IGAD authorizes ‘deterrent force’ in South Sudan (13 March)
Major role for Ugandan army in South Sudan ‘until the country is stable’ (31 Jan.)
Negotiator decries ‘Ugandan invasion’ of South Sudan (8 Jan.)
Uganda sends forces to help Salva Kiir ‘defeat Machar’ (30 Dec.)