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Uganda deployed troops and carried out airstrikes in South Sudan, sparking tensions and accusations of violating a 2018 peace deal
South Sudan’s First Vice-President, Riek Machar, has accused Uganda of breaking a UN arms embargo by sending soldiers, armored vehicles, and air force units into South Sudan and carrying out airstrikes.
In a letter to the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), and the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad), Machar said that Uganda’s military actions violated a 2018 peace deal. This agreement ended a brutal five-year civil war in South Sudan.
Uganda, on the other hand, claims that it sent troops into South Sudan earlier in March at the request of the South Sudanese government. This happened after relations between Machar and President Salva Kiir became worse.
Earlier in March, South Sudanese security forces arrested several of Machar’s senior allies. This followed violent clashes in the northeast of the country between the military and a militia group known as the White Army. The South Sudanese government accuses Machar of supporting the White Army, but his party, SPLM-IO, denies any connection with them.
The UN has raised concerns that hate speech in South Sudan is increasing and could push the country back into an ethnic-based war.
Meanwhile, South Sudan and Chad have condemned a Sudanese general’s threats to attack them, warning that such actions could escalate into a bigger regional conflict.
Uganda is worried that if South Sudan descends into full-blown war, it will lead to an influx of refugees crossing into Uganda, which could create instability.
Machar’s letter, written on March 23, accused Uganda of participating in airstrikes against civilians and called for international pressure to make Uganda withdraw its troops. His office confirmed that the letter was real and had been sent to international organizations.
So far, Uganda and South Sudan’s military officials have not responded to questions about whether Uganda’s actions violate the UN arms embargo, which has been in place since July 2018.
On Monday night, South Sudan’s army attacked SPLM-IO forces stationed at a camp near the capital, Juba, according to the party’s military spokesperson, Lam Paul Gabriel. South Sudan’s information minister has not commented on this accusation.
Last week, Uganda’s parliament officially approved the deployment of its troops in South Sudan. This approval came after the government had already sent the troops on March 11.
Uganda’s defense minister, Jacob Markson Oboth, said that the decision to send troops was necessary to prevent a security disaster in South Sudan, which is Africa’s youngest nation.
However, Uganda’s military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, caused controversy with his comments on social media. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), which were later deleted, Kainerugaba wrote that he was “tired of killing Nuer,” referring to Machar’s ethnic group. He also said that Machar should kneel before South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir.
Kainerugaba has a history of making inflammatory statements that have previously led to diplomatic tensions in the region.
The situation remains tense, and there are concerns that continued violence and foreign military involvement could further destabilize South Sudan and its neighboring countries.