President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today chaired a virtual meeting of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council Heads of State and Government at State Lodge, Nakasero.
President Museveni is the current Chairperson of the African Union Peace and Security Council for the month of June 2024.
During the meeting, the leaders discussed the ongoing conflict in Sudan and explored ways to enhance coordinated efforts among regional and international partners to achieve peace and stability for the Sudanese people.
President Museveni revealed that the war in Sudan was caused by the ideological mistakes by the country’s leaders.
“It is now 70 years since our neighbouring country which is part of this region has been in war more or less continuously and this has been because of some mistakes which we many times talk about with the Sudanese leaders. The first mistake was the politics of identity of Africans Vs Arabs or vice versa, Identity of religions; Muslims Vs Christians. This is the reason that caused war for a long time, and we normally talked to Sudanese leaders like Gen. Bashir and this is the problem also in other parts of Africa. Even in Uganda here, we had the same problem; people who were pushing the politics of identity instead of the politics of interest of the people. I’m this religion, I’m that tribe. This was the original problem,” he said.
The President highlighted mistake number two as using force and arms instead of using dialogue.
“Mistake number three, when you use force, you use unprepared people who are not disciplined and have got a wrong ideology yet armed with internal and external forces. That is how you get this catastrophe, the one you are seeing. Even if it is a war, it doesn’t not need to affect the whole population unless there’s something wrong with the managers of that conflict,” he noted.
“The war crimes are because of those mistakes. Therefore, I’m very happy with the Security Council and other members who have attended. They are all begging the Sudanese factions to please stop the war now, have a ceasefire, go for dialogue and hand the country to its owners; the Sudanese people vote for the person they want.”
Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission informed the meeting that as leaders they must do all it takes to ensure that ceasefire is realised in Sudan.
“The African Union, with the implementation of the decisions of your council, we have been engaging all those in the spectrum of the conflict to facilitate the peace process,” he said.
“The protection of human rights and the International Humanitarian law will only be possible if national reconciliation is realised. It is for this reason I call for the strengthening of international solidarity to ensure democratic transition in Sudan leading to free and fair elections in order to avoid all sorts of crises that could create further chaos in the country and the region.”
