As activist calls on the UN to sanction the Ugandan Chief of Defense Forces for inciting ethnic violence in the country. The former presidential press secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny has condemned the tweet made by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPPDF) Chief of Defense Forces Gen.Muhoozi Kainerugaba saying the tweet is a blatant confession of human rights abuses.

He said that though South Sudan has the right to sign a military pact with any country on earth for defense, Uganda as a partner in that deal should not make such a statement.

“I took it upon myself to respond to Gen.Muhoozi’s tweet as any concerned citizen of South Sudan and not as anyone in government or politics,” Ateny said.

According to him, the UPDF was not deployed in the country to ‘kill Nuer’ as claimed by Gen. Muhoozi.

Ateny called on the press office of Gen Muhoozi to immediately act on this matter if the account is not being used by General Muhoozi himself to prevent further confusion and mistrust between the two countries.

“The military pact is not an abdication of a country own’s sovereignty. Nuer as a tribe is the twin brother of Jieng, and killing them would also mean killing Jieng/Dinka. It is unacceptable to invite an army who would want to kill one ethnic group.”

Wek further said that the tweet by Gen Muhoozi is uncalled for and unacceptable.

He said such a reckless statement can land the leader of the UPDF army chief to the international criminal of Justice.

Ateny called on the government of South Sudan to distance itself from such a statement by Gen.Muhoozi due to his appropriate language.

“Even with UPDF presence, the prevention of civil war from flaring up lies with us the South Sudanese. Gen. Muhoozi should not do it for us,” Ateny said.

Activist beckons at the UN for Gen. Muhoozi

Meanwhile, a civil society activist has called on the United Nations to impose sanctions on the UPDF Chief of Defense Forces for inciting ethnic violence in South Sudan.

Ter Manyang, the Executive Director of the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) urged the UN Human Rights Council, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International to conduct an independent investigation on the matter.    

“The Center for Peace and Advocacy calls for accountability regarding a statement made by Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba on X, formerly known as Twitter.

According to Manyang, Gen. Kainerugaba had already acknowledged the killing of the South Sudanese community, including children, the elderly, and women.

“Such statements confirm that he and his Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) have actively participated in the killing of (the community’s) civilians in South Sudan in recent years,” Manyang said in a statement.

“We urge the United Nations to impose sanctions on Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba Uganda.”

He said as a neighboring country hosting over one million South Sudanese refugees, Muhoozi should have engaged the country diplomatic manner.

The activist warned that such an approach would discontinue the trust and efforts made by South Sudanese leaders in the peace implementation of the peace agreement

“The Center for Peace and Advocacy calls upon Uganda to adhere to the principles of international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and the treaties within the East African Community.”  By Sylvester, The City Review