Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) commandos have been deployed in Juba to support South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) as tensions escalate between President Salva Kiir and his First Vice President, Riek Machar.
The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said on Tuesday morning that the commandos arrived in Juba two days ago under Operation 'Mlinzi wa Kimya'.
"UPDF Commandos arriving in Juba to support South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) in the current crisis," he posted on X, alongside a video showing Special Forces Command troops landing in South Sudan. "Operation 'Mlinzi wa Kimya' has begun. God bless UPDF!"
Tensions have been mounting in recent days after Kiir’s government detained two ministers and several senior military officers allied with Machar. One minister has since been released.
The arrests in Juba, coupled with deadly clashes around the northern town of Nasir, are threatening the 2018 peace deal that ended a five-year civil war between Kiir and Machar’s forces, a conflict that claimed nearly 400,000 lives.
Gen Kainerugaba, who is also the Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, sair any move against Kiir amounts to declaring war on Uganda.
"We the UPDF (Ugandan military) only recognise one President of South Sudan, H.E. Salva Kiir... Any move against him is a declaration of war against Uganda," he posted on X.
Ugandan troops were first deployed in South Sudan in 2013 after the outbreak of civil war triggered by the power struggle between Kiir and Machar. The fighting in Juba was intense, with Kiir accusing Machar of attempting a coup, an allegation Machar denied.
The war left more than 400,000 people dead, but a 2018 power-sharing agreement ended the fighting. However, key parts of the deal remain unimplemented, including a new constitution, elections, and the integration of armed groups into a single national army.