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 and conducting airstrikes within South Sudan.
In a letter addressed to the U.N., African Union, and IGAD regional bloc, Machar asserts that Uganda’s military intervention breaches the 2018 peace deal, which aimed to end the brutal five-year civil war in South Sudan.
He afterward called for international pressure on Uganda to withdraw its troops. Meanwhile, the Uganda government claims its troop deployment in South Sudan was at the government’s request, following a breakdown in the relationship between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Machar.
This deployment occurred after security forces arrested several of Machar’s allies amidst clashes with the White Army militia. It is erstwhile to note that Machar’s SPLM-IO party is denying any ties to the White Army, a predominantly ethnic Nuer militia that fought alongside Machar during the civil war. The U.N. has warned that rising hate speech could reignite ethnic conflict, plunging South Sudan back into widespread violence.
Uganda’s Concerns Over Refugee Influx and Recent Clashes
The Uganda government has expressed concerns that a full-scale conflict in South Sudan, its oil-producing northern neighbor, could trigger a massive refugee influx and destabilize the region.
South Sudan’s army reportedly attacked SPLM-IO forces near Juba, and officials from Machar’s party have been arrested in Lakes State.
These incidents, coupled with Uganda’s military actions, contribute to the escalating tensions and instability within South Sudan.
