Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni yesterday Jan 09, a key backer of South Sudan’s rebel leader Riek Machar over the ongoing fighting in South Sudan.
Ms. Garang, a widow of the late SPLM leader Dr. John Garang De Mabio and Presidential Adviser on Human Rights and Gender to the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit.
According to a statement from President Museveni’s press office, Ms. Garang met Uganda’s leader at his country home in Rwakitura, Kiruhura district where the two leaders discussed the security situation in South Sudan especially regarding the latest events that have resulted from the conflict in her country.
The meeting was crucial since it is the first physical contact between Museveni, who backs Kiir and the opposition rebels led by former vice president Riek Machar.
Ms. Garang is a major power broker in South Sudan and a major critic of President Kiir. It is anticipated that Ms. Garang’s invitation by President Museveni’s was meant to sort out the political impasse between Kiir and Garang as well as supporters of Machar that led to the fighting.
The fighting that started on December 15, is estimated to have caused the death of over 1000 people and displacement of nearly a quarter of a million others.
