The UPA criticizes South Sudan’s decision to invite UPDF forces, asserting it worsens the nation’s crisis and threatens peace agreements. It calls for the withdrawal of foreign troops and unity among opposition to prevent further conflict. Recent escalatory violence underscores instability within the country.
The United People’s Alliance (UPA) has condemned South Sudan’s government for inviting the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) amidst ongoing tensions in Upper Nile, Western Bhar Ghazal, and Western Equatoria states. The UPA, a coalition formed in January from opposition movements participating in the Tumaini Initiative peace talks in Kenya, expressed serious concerns about this military presence.
A statement from UPA Secretary General Lual Dau highlights that South Sudan is facing severe economic, humanitarian, and political crises driven by government mismanagement. The UPA asserts that the ruling government in Juba seems intent on escalating conflict by inviting foreign troops, which they view as a malicious plan to revert to war, undermining peace efforts under the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
The alliance demands the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops not mandated by the United Nations and urges regional and international actors to discourage actions that may worsen the already precarious situation in South Sudan. UPA calls for unity among opposition movements, civil society, and citizens to resist attempts to utilize foreign troops suppressively.
On social media, the Chief of Defense Forces of the UPDF indicated that Ugandan troops had entered South Sudan to protect President Salva Kiir and secure Juba. In contrast, South Sudan’s Information Minister denied this deployment, although the UPDF confirmed the presence of its special forces in support of Kiir’s government. The lack of parliamentary authorization for this deployment raises questions regarding its legitimacy.
Recent escalations in violence, including attacks by militias loyal to Riek Machar, South Sudan’s First Vice President, have led to significant casualties and increased crackdowns on opposition figures by Kiir’s government. The situation threatens the fragile stability established by the 2018 peace agreement that ended a protracted civil war.
The UPA condemns the South Sudan government for inviting foreign military forces and stresses that this act jeopardizes peace efforts and exacerbates existing crises. The situation is critical, with calls for the withdrawal of foreign troops and solidarity among opposition movements to resist repression. Ongoing violence and tensions between government factions highlight the precariousness of the current peace agreement.
Original Source: www.radiotamazuj.org
