Growing tensions in South Sudan have led to clashes as the power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar falls apart.
Uganda has deployed special forces to South Sudan amid increasing fears that the country could plunge back into civil war.
Kampala’s military chief announced on Tuesday that troops had been sent to help “secure” Juba, the capital of Uganda’s northern neighbor. Tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar are escalating as their power-sharing deal unravels, leading to violent clashes.
In a series of posts on X, Muhoozi Kainerugaba stated, “As of two days ago, our Special Forces units entered Juba to secure it.”
He added, “We, the UPDF (Ugandan military), only recognize one President of South Sudan, H.E. Salva Kiir… Any move against him is a declaration of war against Uganda! All those who commit that crime will learn what it means!”
We the UPDF, only recognize ONE President of South Sudan, H.E. Salva Kiir, he is our ‘Afande’ even in UPDF because he is the younger brother of Mzee! Any move against him is a declaration of war against Uganda! All those who commit that crime will learn what it means!
— Muhoozi Kainerugaba (@mkainerugaba) March 10, 2025
The military chief did not specify how long the troops would remain in Juba or whether Uganda had been requested to support Kiir.
Sporadic fighting has erupted in South Sudan in recent days, with tensions threatening to reignite conflict between Kiir and Machar. The two leaders signed a peace deal in 2018 to end a five-year civil war.
Last week, Kiir’s government detained two ministers and several senior military officials aligned with Machar.
Dozens of soldiers and a general were killed in clashes between the South Sudanese army and the White Army militia in the northern town of Nasir. Kiir has accused the militia of being linked to Machar.
Kiir has vowed not to allow a return to war, but analysts warn that the risk of renewed conflict remains high.
In a statement on Friday, the United Nations urged “all actors to refrain from further violence and for the country’s leaders to urgently intervene to resolve tensions through dialogue and ensure that the security situation in Nasir, and more broadly, does not deteriorate.”
The deployment of Ugandan troops echoes a similar move in 2013, when Kampala sent soldiers to Juba to bolster Kiir’s forces after the civil war broke out.
While the troops were withdrawn in 2015, they were redeployed in 2016 after fighting resumed.
Rising tensions in South Sudan have raised concerns for Uganda that a full-scale war could result in an influx of refugees across the border and further destabilize the region.
Recently, Kampala has also sent troops into the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s eastern regions, where rebel groups backed by Rwanda are fighting the government for control.
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