Uganda has sent special forces to South Sudan’s capital, Juba, to bolster security for President Salva Kiir, according to Uganda’s military chief, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
The deployment comes amid heightened tensions between Kiir and his deputy, Riek Machar, raising fears that their fragile peace agreement could collapse, potentially reigniting conflict.
Gen. Kainerugaba did not specify the exact reason for the intervention but warned that any action against Kiir would be considered a direct threat to Uganda.
“We will protect the entire territory of South Sudan as if it were our own,” he stated on the social media platform X.
South Sudanese authorities have yet to issue a statement on the deployment.
Concerns over the country’s security have been mounting, prompting the United States to evacuate all non-essential embassy staff on Saturday.
The situation escalated last week when South Sudan’s security forces arrested the deputy army chief and two ministers—both allies of Machar.
The opposition condemned the arrests as a serious breach of the peace agreement. One of the detained ministers has since been released.
Tensions were further inflamed by recent clashes in Upper Nile State between government forces and the White Army militia, a group that previously fought alongside Machar during the civil war that erupted in 2013.
The war, which was triggered by a power struggle between Kiir and Machar, resulted in heavy fighting in Juba and led to accusations of a coup attempt against Machar, which he denied. The conflict ultimately claimed over 400,000 lives.
A 2018 peace deal established a power-sharing arrangement that halted large-scale fighting.
However, crucial provisions—including drafting a new constitution, holding elections, and integrating armed groups into a unified national army—remain unfulfilled.