Uganda’s military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, announced that the country has deployed special forces in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, to “secure it” as tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar escalate.
The move is aimed at preventing a return to civil war, which ended with a 2018 peace deal after claiming nearly 400,000 lives.
The deployment comes after Kiir’s government detained two ministers and several senior military officials allied with Machar, sparking fears of a renewed conflict.
Uganda’s military chief emphasized that they recognize only one president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, and warned that any move against him would be considered a declaration of war against Uganda.
This is not the first time Uganda has deployed troops in Juba. In 2013, Ugandan forces were sent to support Kiir’s government against Machar, but they were withdrawn in 2015.
A similar deployment occurred in 2016, but those troops were also eventually withdrawn.
Uganda’s concerns about instability in South Sudan are driven by fears of a potential refugee crisis and the risk of violence spilling across the border.
The situation remains volatile, with the international community watching closely for any signs of renewed conflict.
