Monday September 17, 2018
By JOSEPH ODUHA
Regional bloc IGAD has mandated Somalia and Djibouti to deploy
troops to South Sudan to safeguard security and the implementation of
the peace agreement.
The Inter-Governmental Authority
on Development (Igad), in a statement to the media on Monday afternoon,
said Somalia and Djibouti have been endorsed by the regional bloc to be
among the South Sudan peace guarantors.
The endorsement was made during the Igad Extra-Ordinary Summit held in Addis Ababa on September 12.
“Igad
shall request the UN Security Council to review its mandate on
deployment of regional protection force to South Sudan and allow Sudan,
Uganda, Djibouti and Somalia as guarantors, to contribute forces to
enhance the protection and security,” the Igad statement reads.
“The
Summit resolves that Igad shall engage the UN Security Council to
ensure that the Regional Protection Force (RPF) is fully deployed to
execute its mandate in accordance with the UNSC Resolutions 2304/16 and
2406/18.”
The statement added that the outcome of the Summit further
mandated the Igad chiefs of staff to assess the operational needs and
elaborate the tasks of the RPF in light of the current situation in
South Sudan, as a basis for a securing endorsement from the African
Union Peace Security Council and the UNSC.
It
further stated that the regional bloc was committed to stand in
solidarity with the people of South Sudan and their leaders in their
endeavour to attain peace, stability and economic progress.
Additionally,
Igad called upon the government and the opposition groups in the
war-torn country to prioritise the implementation of the Permanent
Ceasefire on Cessation of Hostilities, Protection of Civilians and
Humanitarian Access.
Somalia is one of the most fragile
states in the region and tops the list of security worst-hit countries
on the continent. Its security has been mostly guaranteed by the African
Union peace keepers deployed by Kenya, Uganda and Burundi.