Uganda has dispatched special forces to South Sudan’s capital, Juba, to bolster security amid escalating tensions between President Salva Kiir and his First Vice President, Riek Machar. The deployment, confirmed by Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, comes as fears grow over a potential return to conflict in the troubled nation.
In a series of posts on the X platform, Gen. Kainerugaba announced that Ugandan troops had entered Juba to “secure” the city in light of recent developments.
“As of two days ago, our Special Forces units entered Juba to secure it,” he stated.
Kainerugaba made it clear that Uganda remains firmly aligned with President Kiir’s government, warning that any move against him would be treated as an act of aggression towards Uganda.
“We, the UPDF, only recognize one President of South Sudan, H.E. Salva Kiir. Any move against him is a declaration of war against Uganda,” he asserted.
Tensions have been mounting in South Sudan following the detention of two ministers and several senior military figures linked to Machar’s camp. While one minister has since been released, the arrests, combined with violent clashes in the northern town of Nasir, have raised concerns about the fragility of the 2018 peace deal that ended a brutal five-year civil war.
The conflict, which erupted in 2013, pitted forces loyal to Kiir against those supporting Machar, resulting in nearly 400,000 deaths and massive displacement. Uganda previously intervened in South Sudan, deploying troops in Juba in 2013 and again in 2016 when fighting reignited. However, those forces were later withdrawn as part of peace efforts.
Uganda’s latest military intervention underscores its concern over the potential consequences of renewed violence in South Sudan. A full-scale conflict could send thousands of refugees across the border, straining Uganda’s resources and increasing regional instability.
It remains unclear whether Uganda’s deployment was requested by Kiir’s government or how long the troops will remain in South Sudan. South Sudanese government officials have yet to comment on the move, and there is no confirmation from Juba regarding the nature of Uganda’s involvement.
As the situation unfolds, regional and international observers are closely watching whether efforts to maintain peace in South Sudan will hold or if the country will once again descend into turmoil.
