(Reuters) – South Sudan’s First Vice President, Riek Machar, has accused Uganda of violating a United Nations arms embargo by deploying armored and air force units into South Sudan and conducting airstrikes across the country.
In a letter addressed to the U.N., the African Union, and the IGAD regional bloc, Machar stated that Uganda’s military intervention breached the 2018 peace agreement that ended South Sudan’s five-year civil war.
Uganda’s Justification for Troop Deployment
Uganda, however, claims that it deployed troops earlier this month at the request of the South Sudanese government following escalating tensions between Machar and President Salva Kiir.
The tensions escalated after security forces detained several of Machar’s senior allies following clashes between the military and the White Army ethnic militia in the country’s northeast. The government has accused Machar of supporting the group, but his SPLM-IO party denies any links to the militia.
The U.N. has warned that rising hate speech in South Sudan could lead to renewed ethnic violence. Uganda, which shares a border with South Sudan, fears that a full-scale conflict could trigger an influx of refugees and cause instability in the region.
Accusations of Airstrikes and Human Rights Violations
Machar’s letter, dated March 23, claims that Ugandan forces have carried out airstrikes against civilians. He urged the international community to pressure Uganda to withdraw its troops.
Neither Uganda nor South Sudan’s military spokesmen have responded to inquiries about the alleged embargo violation. However, Uganda’s parliament last week retrospectively approved the troop deployment, which was first announced on March 11.
Ugandan Defense Minister Jacob Markson Oboth defended the move, stating it was necessary to prevent a “security catastrophe” in South Sudan.
Controversial Statements from Uganda’s Military Chief
In a now-deleted series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Uganda’s military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, made inflammatory remarks, stating: “I’m tired of killing Nuer,” referring to Machar’s ethnic group.
He further demanded that Machar “kneel down before ‘our’ President H.E. Salva Kiir.”
Kainerugaba has a history of controversial statements that have previously caused diplomatic tensions in the region.
As the crisis unfolds, the international community remains on high alert, monitoring Uganda’s military involvement and the fragile stability of South Sudan.
