The UPDF has sent troops to South Sudan to support President Salva Kiir amid rising tensions with Riek Machar. This deployment, lacking parliamentary approval, reflects ongoing instability in the region, with recent violent clashes reported. The international community urges a peaceful resolution.
The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) has deployed in South Sudan to support President Salva Kiir’s government amid escalating tensions. Chief of Defense Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced this operation, named ‘Mlinzi wa Kimya,’ via social media, showcasing soldiers arriving in Juba with arms. This signals a worsening political and security crisis in South Sudan, the newest nation in Africa.
The 2023 UPDF deployment harkens back to 2013 when Uganda intervened to prevent Kiir’s government from collapsing against factions led by former Vice President Riek Machar. Details regarding the current deployment’s authorization remain unclear, as there has been no parliamentary approval.
Recent weeks have witnessed rising hostilities between Kiir’s faction and Machar, leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition. Clashes erupted in towns such as Nasir, resulting in fatalities, including a commander from the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces.
Renewed violence has also been reported in Malakal and Bentiu, strongholds of the ethnic Nuer tribe tied to Machar, with additional skirmishes in Bar el Ghazal, home to Kiir’s Dinka tribe. Arrests of Machar’s supporters in Juba, alongside his alleged house arrest, indicate mounting tensions.
This conflict, if it escalates, could mark the third major outbreak of violence since South Sudan’s independence in 2011. Notably, previous rifts between Kiir and Machar led to a two-year civil war from 2013. Although a peace agreement in 2015 appointed Machar as First Vice President, it collapsed, resulting in further conflicts in 2016.
The 2018 revitalized peace agreement aimed to stabilize the country but tensions remain. While elections were scheduled for this year, the transitional government has postponed them for two years, citing the need for conditions ensuring free and fair elections, including disarmament and military unification.
Global entities, such as the UN, African Union, and IGAD, emphasize the necessity for a peaceful resolution to prevent further conflict, especially considering the backdrop of civil unrest in neighboring Sudan.
The UPDF’s deployment in South Sudan highlights the urgent need for political stabilization amid increasing tensions between President Kiir and Riek Machar. Previous conflicts have led to substantial loss of life and displacement. As South Sudan faces potential escalations once more, international calls for a peaceful resolution become increasingly important, particularly in light of the situation in Sudan.
Original Source: www.independent.co.ug
