Interview: Implementation of South Sudan peace deal remains critical: expert

The international community has to keep a close eye on South Sudan if the peace deal signed on Aug. 26 is to bring lasting peace in the country that had faced about 20 months of fighting, an expert said Thursday.

Phillip Apuuli Kasaija, a professor of international relations at Uganda's top university, Makerere University said while the peace agreement can halt fighting, there are contested clauses in the agreement that must be addressed.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir, who signed the agreement under threat of UN sanctions expressed concerns over some issues which included demilitarization of the capital Juba and power sharing among others.

Last week Kiir declined to sign the agreement asking for more time but rebel leader Riek Machar signed the deal brokered by regional powers.

Kasaija argued that if Juba is demilitarized, there must be a provision of how the capital is going to be protected. He argued that there cannot be a security vacuum.

The agreement says that all foreign troops must leave the country within 45 days after signing the agreement and a regional force under the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) would be deployed.

Uganda has its troops in South Sudan which have been protecting the government since fighting broke out in December 2013 when Machar as vice president fell out with Kiir.

"IGAD does not have the capacity to raise these troops. In the past it has failed and I don't think it is going to do it in the future," Kasaija said.

He argued that the other proposed force would be the UN Mission in Sudan but its mandate would have to be expanded by the UN Security Council to include South Sudan.

Kasaija said that while all this debate is taking place, there must be a mechanism of ensuring that the security of the capital is guaranteed.

Kiir's concern regarding power sharing with the Opposition is another sticky point that must be handled critically. The government argued that the Opposition should not have 15 percent of the positions in states that did not have war.

The agreement stipulates that the Opposition will have the 15 percent positions in those states (seven states) and also choose the leaders of the three states that are under its control. Kasaija argued that this is likely to cause tension during the implementation stage.

The agreement says that the president must have consensus with the First Vice President to make decisions. Kasaija said that this is bound to cause conflict if the Opposition elect Machar as the first vice president.

"The president is sovereign, he should be able to take decisions without being constrained by sentiments coming from somewhere else," he said.

In terms of regional affairs, Uganda has vested interest in South Sudan. South Sudan is Uganda's major trading partner. South Sudan imports most of its products from Uganda.

The country is also seen as Uganda's buffer against security threats from rebel forces hiding in north eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic.

Kasaija argued that Uganda will have to create a harmonious relation with Machar if he is chosen as vice president by the Opposition. He said the leadership in Kampala has always had reservations of dealing with Machar arguing he is unreliable.

Machar was seen as operating with the Sudan government at a time when the relation between Uganda and Sudan was low. He later came back and dealt with the Sudan People's Liberation Army, a rebel group that was then fighting the Khartoum government.

"Since we are guarantors of the agreement, we will have to deal with the man," Kasaija said.

The guarantors, according to Kasaija must also ensure that they do their job of making the parties stick to the agreement.

He argued that the threat of UN sanctions against the principals has been critical in ensuring that they sign the peace deal to end a war that has left many people dead and others forced to flee to neighboring countries. Endit