President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to undertake a Working Visit to the Republic of Uganda to meet with President Yoweri Museveni.

In a statement, the Presidency said the two leaders are expected to discuss security in that region of Africa ‘including the situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’.

Following that visit, President Ramaphosa is expected to visit the Republic of South Sudan in order to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

‘The President will also use the visit to receive a detailed briefing from President Salva Kiir Mayardit, and all other stakeholders, on the status of implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan [R-ARCSS] which was signed on 12 September 2018,’ the statement read.

The agreement comes to an end in February next year and elections must be held in December this year.

‘It is in this context that President Ramaphosa has designated Deputy President Paul Mashatile, as his Special Envoy
, to provide practical and political support to the parties to the R-ARCSS and the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity [R-TGoNU], towards achieving the measures set to achieve a democratic and peaceful end to the transitional period.

‘To this end, Deputy President Mashatile has visited South Sudan and based on his engagements with stakeholders, recommended a follow-up visit by President Ramaphosa. South Africa has always been walking with South Sudan on its path to reconstruction and development since the dawn of independence in 2011.

‘South Africa has participated in various conflict resolution and mediation mechanisms, State building, capacity building of State institutions and programmes for post-conflict reconstruction and development,’ the Presidency statement said.

Official bilateral relations between South Sudan and South Africa were signed into establishment in September 2012 and are conducted through the General Cooperation Agreement.

‘South Africa is also the Chair of the Afric
an Union High-Level Ad-hoc Committee for South Sudan (also known as C5), which has been mandated by the African Union to support South Sudan in its transitional process.

‘South Africa enjoys cordial bilateral relations with South Sudan and the two countries have a long-standing historical relationship that pre-dates South Sudan’s independence on 9 July 2011,’ the statement read.

Source: South African Government News Agency