Parliament is set to deliberate on a crucial motion seeking approval for the deployment of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in South Sudan.
The move, which falls under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Cooperation and the Status of Forces Agreement between Uganda and South Sudan, is expected to spark serious debate over Uganda’s role in regional security.
The motion, to be presented by the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, seeks to cement Uganda’s military presence in South Sudan, citing security threats and economic interests as key factors. Government sources argue that UPDF’s deployment is strategic in protecting Uganda’s trade routes, given that South Sudan is one of Uganda’s largest trading partners.
“The stability of South Sudan is directly linked to Uganda’s national security and economic stability,” a senior security official told Parliament. “We cannot afford instability on our northern border.”
The deployment has raised concerns among some legislators who demand clarity on its scope, financial implications, and alignment with Uganda’s foreign policy interests.
The situation in South Sudan has deteriorated rapidly. Uganda has deployed special forces to Juba to support President Salva Kiir’s administration amid escalating tensions with First Vice President Riek Machar.
The motion comes at a time when the East African region is facing increasing security challenges, with the situation in the DRC, South Sudan still struggling with post-war stability. Uganda has a history of military interventions in neighboring countries, and some MPs are urging the government to ensure the deployment aligns with Uganda’s broader foreign policy goals.
Uganda has deployed an unknown number of troops to South Sudan in a bid to protect the fragile government of President Salva Kiir as a tense rivalry with his deputy threatens a return to civil war in the east African nation.
Maj. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, a spokesperson for the UPDF recently stated that Ugandan special forces have been deployed to Juba, the South Sudanese capital, “to support the government of South Sudan” against a possible rebel advance on the city.
Last week, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, confirmed the UPDF’s increased military presence in South Sudan . The deployment, part of Operation ‘Mlinzi wa Kimya’, comes after a request from the South Sudanese government for Uganda’s support.
Gen Kainerugaba shared updates on the UPDF commandos arriving in Juba, posting a video on X (formerly Twitter) showing Special Forces Command troops disembarking from a helicopter. The mission aims to assist the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) in dealing with rising violence and escalating power struggles between the two South Sudanese leaders.
Tensions flared after the White Army, a militia aligned with the Nuer ethnic group, overran SSPDF positions in Nasir, a key region in the country’s northern conflict. This has raised fears of a return to civil war, reminiscent of the conflict that ravaged the country in 2013 and 2015.
Gen Kainerugaba has been vocal in his support for Kiir, warning that any action against Kiir would be seen as a declaration of war against Uganda. He made it clear that Uganda’s military only recognizes Salva Kiir as the legitimate president of South Sudan.
His statement stresses Uganda’s strategic and military interests in the region, especially given its historical involvement in South Sudan’s conflicts since the 2013 civil war.
In deploying Ugandan soldiers to Juba, President Yoweri Museveni, the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces moved as a guarantor of the peace process that keeps Kiir and Machar together in a delicate government of national unity.
