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KAMPALA Uganda (Xinhua) --
As the people fleeing the South Sudan
crisis continue to enter neighboring Uganda, the
president of the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) said a political solution is urgently
needed to resolve the crisis.
Peter 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. |
