The Government of South Sudan has refuted on March 11 earlier reports claiming that Uganda had deployed special forces to its capital, Juba, to assist in securing the city.
This comes after Uganda’s military chief, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, stated earlier that the soldiers had been sent to South Sudan to support President Salva Kiir in ensuring the city’s safety amid rising tensions between Kiir and his deputy, Riek Machar.
Gen. Kainerugaba had declared on social media on Tuesday morning that Uganda would “protect the entire territory of South Sudan like it was our own,” a statement that stirred concerns over the stability of the peace deal between Kiir and Machar. However, South Sudan’s Information Minister, Michael Makuei, promptly denied these reports, clarifying that Ugandan troops were not present in Juba. The denial followed confirmation from Uganda’s army spokesperson, Felix Kulayigye, who had earlier confirmed the deployment to the BBC but withheld further details.
The security situation in South Sudan has been worsening, with growing concerns from the international community. Recently, the United States ordered the evacuation of all non-emergency personnel from the country due to escalating tensions. These tensions were heightened by the arrest of key allies of Machar, including the deputy chief of the army and two ministers, which opposition figures labelled a serious breach of the 2018 peace agreement. These arrests came after clashes between government forces and the White Army militia, which had fought alongside Machar during the civil war that erupted in 2013. Although a peace agreement was signed in 2018, many key provisions, including the creation of a new constitution and the reunification of armed groups, remain unimplemented.