Ugandan and South Sudanese governments have secretly been working on a plan to allow Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) to re-enter South Sudan and control specific locations in the war-torn country.

Quoting a senior South Sudan government official, local media in the war-torn country reported that both South Sudan and Uganda have initiated a plan designed to allow the latter to deploy its troops along major roads linking Kampala with Juba.

The official allegedly said that South Sudanese President Salva Kiir wants Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to deploy UPDF’s soldiers to some areas he deems a threat to his government.

“There is an active discussion between South Sudan and Uganda over the possibility of Uganda’s military re-intervention in our country. Kiir and Museveni started talking about bringing back UPDF to South Sudan last month [May],” the official reportedly said.

But contacted on phone earlier today, the UPDF Spokesperson Brigadier Richard Karemire denied any such plans, only saying: “We have not contemplated that.”

Meanwhile, the source was quoted as saying that Kiir and Museveni were infuriated when some leaders of the African Union, United Nations, and other countries publicly admitted that the August 2015 peace agreement is dead, adding, “Kiir and Taban believe the implementation of the peace agreement is going smoothly.”

“President Kiir is only implementing what he wants not the peace. The big problem here is that Taban Deng Gai who is now the First Vice President has no power to change anything Kiir wants and it is a big problem,” the source added. The official described the FVP Gai as ‘a man with no real power’.

South Sudan’s armed opposition, the SPLM/A-IO, has intensified its operation against government troops in and around Equatoria region, causing Uganda’s truck drivers to stop delivery of Ugandan goods to Juba.

Ugandan traders have recently called on Ugandan leader Museveni to order occupation of main roads linking South Sudan with Uganda, claiming Kampala has rights to protect its business interests in the war-wracked young nation.

Uganda is South Sudan’s biggest trading partner.

Previously, the UPDF has deployed in South Sudan following clashes that erupted there in December 2013, when President Kiir fell out with his then Vice President Riek Machar, resulting in the bloodbath which prompted the Ugandan army to intervene.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that President Yoweri Museveni is the only leader in the region, who is reportedly in favour of South Sudan holding ‘free and fair’ general elections.

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Police officers have been directed to stop arresting people under the guise of being ‘idle and disorderly’.

The order was contained in a directive issued early today by the Deputy Inspector General of Police Martin Okoth Ochola.

‘This is to inform you that the offence of idle and disorderly was declared unconstitutional by the courts of law. Therefore, all police officers are instructed to stop arresting suspects under the cover of this offence’.

‘HE the President emphasized this during the State of the Nation Address on 6^th June 2017,’ D/IGP Ochola wrote.

The D/IGP’s directive comes in the wake of several ‘idle and disorderly’ arrests carried out by some dubious police officers, with the intent to extort bribes from the culpable youthful Ugandan citizens, most of who are unemployed.

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South Sudanese parliament has revoked an earlier appointment of nine lawmakers by President Salva Kiir to the East African Legislative Assembly, during an extraordinary session in Juba.

Issued in March, the presidential decree was challenged by a South Sudanese lawyer Wani Santino Jada, who brought the case before the East African Court of Justice in Arusha, Tanzania, stressing that the parliament, not the president has to select the nine South Sudanese members.

The lawyer based his claim on that the article (50) of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community and the article (4) of the East African Legislative Assembly Election Act. Both provides that the “National Assembly of each Partner State shall elect -not from among its members – nine members of the (East African Legislative) Assembly “.

The Arusha-based court is due to hear the case on June 15. But South Sudan MPs revoked the decision in a special session two days earlier.

In statements to the media, the chairperson of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA)’s legal committee, Dengtiel Ayuen Kur, announced the revocation of the presidential decree on the appointment of the nine legislators for the regional body.

“The Transitional National Legislative Assembly has revoked its resolution in March 2017 that nominated nine members of Parliament to the East African Legislative Assembly,” Kur said.

Lawyers in Juba point to the failure of presidential legal advisers to review the decision before its issuance in March.

South Sudanese President enjoys overwhelming legal powers in the new East African country. He appoints MPs, fires elected officials including state governors and can suspend the assembly according to the 2011 Transitional Constitution.

South Sudan joined the East African Community last year.

Meanwhile, the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) has stopped the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) from administering oath of office to its members, hence stalling whatever timetable that would be set for the commencement of the fourth assembly.

The order delivered by the First Instance Division of the EACJ was in regard to Jada’s petition that was filed against the South Sudan Attorney General, the Speaker of Parliament and the EAC Secretary General in relation to the election of the South Sudan members of EALA.

The EACJ comprised of Principal Judge Monica Mugyenyi, her Deputy Isaac Lenoala and judges Faustin Ntezilyayo, Fakihi Jundu and Audace Ngiye.

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The woman arrested over NTV’s documentary on Uganda’s fake pastors, has been finally released, with one stern condition: she should never talk to media again.

Bart Kakooza, one of the producers of the documentary that left many Ugandans in shock, said the lady whose daughter was reportedly defiled by a pastor had been released on bail but stopped from talking to the media.

“Following pressure from our media coverage, the woman at center of controversy with pastors has been released on bail after spending 10 days in Kigo prison,” he revealed the good news.

He however, protested the court decision to stop her from talking to the press: “The presiding Grade 1 Magistrate, Hope Bagyenda released her on condition that she should never talk to the media. While I accept legal provision of the powers of a court, my elementary knowledge of legal issues convinces me that this is tantamount to gagging her and violating her freedom of expression.” According to Kakooza, they are considering challenging the order.

The woman was arrested a few days after the airing of NTV’s documentary titled: ‘Inside the dark world of manipulative and deceitful pastors’, an undercover documentary which exposed ‘pastors’ who use the hallowed platforms in church to steal from the poor under the guise that they can perform miracles.

She complained of a city pastor raping her daughter but all her attempts to seek justice were frustrated by seemingly compromised law enforcement agencies. She even named the pastor and according to Kakooza, she was arrested on orders of the pastor.

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