President Yoweri Museveni has attributed the political crisis in South Sudan to lack of ideology and politicians who are pushing forward identity politics at the expense of public interest.
“Identity is important but it should not be promoted at the expense of the common good. Even Uganda was a failed state but was rescued by a student movement that taught people to forget about identity politics,” the President said.
President Museveni was speaking during a meeting with the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. He briefed Haley on the security situation in South Sudan, Burundi and Somalia at Uganda House in New York.
The President who is in New York to attend the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly said there was need to unite the various factions of the SPLM and that he was mediating talks to unite the SPLM as the Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn works on the wider unity of the other parties.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an average of more than 1,800 South Sudanese refugees have entered Uganda daily in the last one year.
The influx has become the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world. More than 85 per cent of South Sudanese refugees in Uganda are women and children under the age of 18.
In addition to the million refugees now hosted by Uganda, a million or even more South Sudanese refugees are being hosted by Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Central African Republic.
US commends Uganda
Amb. Nikki Haley commended Museveni and his government for supporting the refugees and the reform efforts in Somalia and South Sudan.
“Uganda has been a good example on what it means to accommodate refugees. US is committed to supporting you in that endeavour,” she said.
The meeting was attended by the Ugandan Ambassador to the UN Adonia Ayebare, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Sam Kuteesa, the Minister of State International Affairs Okello Oryem and the Ugandan Ambassador to the US Mull Katende, among others.
