• Maswali
  • Posts
  • MASWALI 🌍 | ISSUE 4

MASWALI 🌍 | ISSUE 4

Mixed Signals

AuthorAuthor

Uri Ludger & Joshua Musana
October 06, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

🖋️Quick Correction - In the previous issue, we made an error when talking about the Wagner group. The Group was founded in 2014 rather than 2018 like we had written.

Uri🕵🏾; Turns out there’s trouble in paradise brewing?

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️; Fill me in bro

Uri🕵🏾;

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️; Saw that. What am I missing🤔?

Uri🕵🏾; It makes more sense when you see that Salva Kiir was here a week earlier

Uri🕵🏾;

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️; Huh! That’s an interesting set of guests, especially when you think about how that relates to the civil war being fought in Sudan

Uri🕵🏾; True! Plus the whole conversation around who gets to mediate the peace between the two warring groups in Sudan. Right now, it seems to have boiled down to a Ruto camp and the Salva Kiir Camp.

Uri🕵🏾; The IGAD Quartet (the sub-committee within the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development brokering peace between the warring parties in Sudan) fronted Ruto to leading negotiations/ peace talks in the country, but Khartoum isn't having it. Apparently, Ruto’s past relationship with the Rapid Support Forces’ Mohammed Hemedti Daglo as a business partner makes him a “mercenary for another country”- not to be trusted.

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️; Aaah, and that’s how Salva Kiir comes into the equation

Uri🕵🏾; Precisely! Turns out, opposition for Ruto on IGAD’s peace mission is silent but heavy. Salva Kiir had managed to meet both leaders in Sudan, although with minimal results. Now, them being put off the committee makes them feel like their chance to shine has been snatched.

Uri; Although, I shouldn’t fail to mention that the agenda for his visit, which also involves discussions over claimed territory on the Uganda - South Sudan border, with over 20 villages in the Kerwa and Kochi sub-counties of Yumbe district in limbo.

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️; Could be a tightrope to walk on for Uganda-Kenya relations. 🤔Especially at a time when we need to band together to realise a successful AFCON hosting stint. Although, both countries have been super clear about not taking any sides.

Uri🕵🏾; True! Saw it trending on Twitter when it was announced that we’d won the bid. We should probably go into a bit more detail about that but another time.

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️; Speaking of the two, It was interesting to see how both administrations came under fire while at the UNGA. #UOT were hella active, angry about the UG delegation being far too large, burdensome on tax payers and consisting of redundant delegates who had no business being flown to New York.

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️; KOT also had a thing or two to say about Ruto's talks with Ukraine's Zelenskyy, and the optics of begging a country engaged in war for food.

Uri🕵🏾; What were their addresses centred on though? Saw a lot of praise for Ruto’s address on the TL

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️; He’s accumulating quite the reputation as a speaker. Ruto went head-on at what he called a “dysfunctional” UN Security Council, saying it is undemocratic, non-inclusive, and incapable of delivering meaningful progress. He also re-emphasized his call for reforms of the way in which African countries access loan capital, to be more fair and mutually beneficial.

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️; Meanwhile, Uganda’s VP Jessica Alupo, highlighted Uganda's role in hosting refugees from the region and its commitment to addressing their plight. She also emphasized Uganda's initiatives to combat climate change by enhancing access to sustainable energy, expanding forest and wetland conservation, and promoting climate-smart agriculture while urging developed countries to fulfil their financial obligations under the Paris Agreement.

Uri🕵🏾; Interesting for Alupo to mention Uganda’s climate agenda, despite UG being absent at the recent Africa Climate Summit. Museveni just wasn’t having it!😅 “I can’t sit and be lectured…” by US climate envoy John Kerry, who hails from a Global North country that is among the world's biggest polluters.

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️; And that wouldn't be the only criticism of the summit. One of the major talking points throughout those two days was on mobilising Climate finance, with the Carbon Credits Market being the buzz word to make that happen. However, there’s no shortage of pushback about the carbon market - largely around the fact that it seems a means for which developed, high polluting countries can “get away” with more pollution.

Do you like our work? Consider subscribing!