News:
On Tuesday 26th May, 2015, Uganda’s Legislators called for the withdrawal of Ugandan troops from South Sudan. The committee’s resolution, informed by a report by the Committee on Defense and Internal Affairs, said the cost of maintaining the troops in South Sudan is high. “The committee urges government to continue engaging Igad to ensure a neutral force is deployed,” the report said. “This is because the continued presence of the UPDF in South Sudan is proving to be a very high cost to the Ugandan taxpayer.” However, Defense Minister Crispus Kiyonga during the plenary said the UPDF would remain in South Sudan. “The Igad force that was supposed to take the place of the UPDF has not yet become a reality. To that extent, therefore, we will remain in South Sudan.” [Source: Daily Monitor]
Comments:
According to the Defense Ministry, the monthly expenditure for the Uganda People’s Defense Force in South Sudan is Shs7 billion. Since its deployment of 3,000 troops in 2013, it has so far spent about Sh 118 billion for its military operation in South Sudan! Worse still, Currently Uganda has a public debt amounting into $10 billion.
Despite the hard life in Uganda, where it is estimated that over half of its population lives below the poverty line, it appears the common man will continue carrying the heavy burden of the expenses of the proxy war. This is what should be expected in any of the Capitalist states where the common man is over burdened with heavy taxes in almost every goods and services which finally end up into the control of the few in reign.
The South Sudanese Peoples’ Army (SPLA) has been gaining ground since May 2014 and the Ugandan Army has played major part of it. In February this year, Uganda and South Sudan renewed a military agreement that extended the presence of Ugandan troops for four months. The Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni a long standing US agent, has been pushed to side with Salva Kiir another American puppet and the incumbent President of South Sudan whose forces have been launching major assaults in the Unity state. These horrified attacks have led to displacement of about 100,000 civilians and more than 300,000 affected by an almost-complete suspension of humanitarian activities caused by the fighting in recent weeks according to the UN mission in the region.
America has been imposing its influence via its regional satellite states such as Uganda and Ethiopia to turn South Sudan as its base in order to execute its strategy in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region under the guise of securing the region against the ‘danger’ paused by some armed movements such as the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda. The Separation of South Sudan from Sudan was the greatest achievement by the US Administration which does not want to lose it. However, it’s worth to point out that Europe especially Britain has also been working through its agent Riek Machar the former deputy to Salva Kiir to get some influence in the war torn country. This reality has added more risks in South Sudan’s future the so-called Youngest Nation which has plunged into turmoil since its creation in 2011. Military confrontations will never end between troops loyal to Salva Kiir and defactors led by Riek Machar.
Indeed this evil American scheme of cessation of South Sudan was successfully reached under the tyranny of treacherous Muslim leaders, the likes of Omar Al Bashir, Husni Mubarak and the deceased Gadaffi. The leaders who glorify the vicious plans of Western imperialists’ in dividing people along boundaries thus finally putting them into more harm and sufferings as currently witnessed in South Sudan.
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Shabani Mwalimu
Media Representative Hizb ut Tahrir East Africa