Uganda has deployed its special forces to Juba, the capital of South Sudan, to assist President Salva Kiir in securing the city, according to Uganda’s military chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba. This decision has been made amidst escalating tensions between Kiir and his Deputy Riek Machar, which have raised fears that the fragile peace deal between them might collapse and lead to renewed conflict.
General Kainerugaba did not specify the reasons behind the deployment to the neighboring country but warned that any action against Kiir would be considered a declaration of war against Uganda. He further stated that Uganda will protect the entire territory of South Sudan as if it were its own.
The South Sudanese government has remained silent regarding the deployment. Concerns about the security situation in the country have been growing, with the US ordering the evacuation of all its non-emergency staff on Saturday.
Last week, the deputy chief of the army and two ministers, all allies of Machar, were arrested by the security forces. An opposition spokesman denounced this as a severe violation of the peace agreement. One of the ministers has since been released.
The arrests were in response to clashes in the Upper Nile state between government forces and the White Army, a militia that fought alongside Machar during the civil war that erupted in 2013 following a power struggle between him and Kiir. The conflict in Juba involved accusations from Kiir that Machar was plotting a coup, which Machar denied. The civil war that followed resulted in the deaths of over 400,000 people.
A 2018 power-sharing agreement between Kiir and Machar managed to halt the fighting. However, key aspects of the agreement, including a new constitution, elections, and the integration of armed groups into a single army, remain unfulfilled.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1d4z4lnxvxo
