A section of Opposition MPs have warned that a similar military conflict could unfold in Uganda, as is the case with Sudan, if the Kampala government does not crack a whip on uniformed soldiers involved in human rights violations and those who disregard the law.
“As we know, the RSF was created by the former President Bashir; they slaughtered people in Darfur, and it was a matter of time that they would turn to their own,” said the leader of the opposition in Parliament, Mathias Mpuuga.
“As long as we have people who murdered people in Kasese around, as a nation, we should be on alert,” he added.
This was after the government said it had located 208 out of the 271 Ugandans stranded after fighting broke out between the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja told Parliament on Tuesday that stranded Ugandans would be evacuated by road from Sudan to Ethiopia, where they would be picked up by Uganda Airlines.
During the plenary session on Tuesday, Kiira Municipality Member of Parliament, Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, asked the government to not only focus on the evacuation plans but also consider discussions on how to avoid a similar war.
“If this is not done, Uganda is a few years away from falling into what is happening in Sudan,” said Ssemujju.
Sudan plunged into war after the RSF, a militia known for human rights abuses and war crimes in Darfur, refused to be integrated in the mainstream armed forces.
The paramilitary group, which boasts battle-tested commanders and modern equipment, has been battling government forces for almost two weeks.
This has led to a humanitarian crisis in Sudan and a mass exodus of people from the capital, Khartoum.
The lawmakers warned that Al Bashir stayed in power and sought to become a life president, a situation that still exists here in Uganda.
The MPs cautioned that creating “an army within an army” was a recipe for disaster in Uganda.
Meanwhile, Dokolo District Woman MP, Hon. Cecilia Ogwal, asked if the government was planning to support the efforts to end the war in Sudan, saying, “When a neighboring country suffers, we should be concerned. What Uganda did about the war in Somalia is commendable.’