President Yoweri Museveni has congratulated the leaders of the South Sudan political Party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), for signing a reunification agreement.

“I congratulate the SPLM group for signing the agreement to re-unite your party,” he said adding that the act makes the peace process in Addis Ababa even better.

The President paid his tribute last evening at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania shortly after the leaders of the hitherto divided SPLM had signed the agreement. The talks and signing ceremony were witnessed by the host President, Mr. Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, President Yoweri Museveni and the South African Vice President, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa.

President Salva Kiir of South Sudan signed on behalf of SPLM in Government, Riek Machar signed for the SPLM in the Opposition and Deng Alor Kuol signed for the SPLM former detainees. President Jakaya Kikwete whose country hosted the talks and the initialing ceremony, signed the agreement on behalf of Tanzania and CCM. The Republic of South Africa and Tanzania were the main facilitators of the talks between the leaders of the South Sudan political Party.

President Museveni paid glowing tribute to the Tanzanian ruling Party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa, which helped to promote the peace process. He noted that the CCM has succeeded in managing Tanzania well. He attributed the achievement to the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s stand of ensuring peace in everything that he did. He also lauded CCM for the unique contribution in the South Sudan peace efforts.

Mr. Museveni observed that the people of South Sudan have suffered a lot for no good reason adding that it was a tragedy to see that 2 years after independence, South Sudan has been involved in bloodshed. He noted that it was not proper to fight an unjust war. He told the delegates and well-wishers present that Africa has had a number of problems including suffering from ideology. He noted that that suffering contributed towards the wrong diagnosis of the continent’s problems. He said that there have been mistakes through politics that were due to the ideology applied. He further told the delegates that there have been errors in the organizational works and concluded saying there have been development challenges too.

The Secretary General of Chama Cha Mapinduzi, Mr. Abdulrahman Kinana, revealed that they agreed to get solutions to the root causes of the conflict in South Sudan. He congratulated the South Sudanese leaders for accepting to sign the re-unification agreement.

He revealed that they have resolved to end the conflict that caused the death of several people. He further reported that the SPLM members have resolved to restore peace and stability in South Sudan on top of agreeing to implement the cessation of hostilities. He said that the SPLM leaders have apologized to the people of South Sudan for what they have experienced since 15th December 2013 when the conflict broke out.

Mr. Kinana further said that the South Sudanese leaders agreed to implement the policy of their Party, the SPLM, to promote democracy and revealed that the SPLM agreed in full that Tanzania’s CCM is a firm guarantor of the agreement they have signed.