Uganda has deployed special forces to South Sudan amid growing fears that the country is on the brink of another civil war. The deployment follows escalating tensions between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar, whose fragile power-sharing agreement is crumbling.
Uganda’s military chief confirmed on Tuesday that Ugandan troops had entered Juba, South Sudan’s capital, to “secure” the city. 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 further declared Uganda’s firm support for Kiir, warning, “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! Those who commit that crime will learn what it means!”
Kainerugaba did not specify how long Ugandan forces would remain in Juba or whether their presence was at Kiir’s request.
Meanwhile, sporadic clashes have erupted across South Sudan, raising concerns that the country could slip back into full-scale conflict. Last week, Kiir’s government detained two ministers and several high-ranking military officials loyal to Machar. In the northern town of Nasir, dozens of soldiers and a general were reportedly killed in fighting between the South Sudanese army and the White Army militia, which Kiir has linked to Machar.
Despite the growing unrest, Kiir has insisted that war will not return. However, analysts warn that the situation is deteriorating rapidly. The United Nations has urged all parties to step back from violence and engage in dialogue to prevent further escalation.
Uganda’s military intervention mirrors past deployments. In 2013, UPDF troops were sent to Juba to bolster Kiir’s forces after the outbreak of civil war. Although the troops were withdrawn in 2015, they returned in 2016 when fighting reignited.
The increasing instability in South Sudan poses a significant concern for Uganda, as a renewed conflict could trigger a mass influx of refugees and further destabilize the region. Uganda has already deployed forces across its eastern border into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Rwandan-backed rebels continue to battle government troops for control of the eastern regions.
With tensions in South Sudan at a boiling point, the possibility of another devastating war looms large, threatening to undo years of fragile peace efforts.
