Tue Mar 11 16:58:27 UTC 2025: ## Uganda Deploys Troops to South Sudan Amid Rising Tensions

**Kampala, March 11, 2025** – Uganda has sent an unspecified number of special forces troops to Juba, the capital of South Sudan, to bolster the government of President Salva Kiir amid escalating tensions with his deputy, Riek Machar. The deployment, confirmed by Ugandan military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, comes as fears of a renewed civil war grow.

The move is described as support for the government, not a peacekeeping mission. Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, a close ally of Kiir, is acting as a guarantor of the fragile peace agreement between Kiir and Machar. This intervention mirrors past actions by Museveni to maintain Kiir’s power.

Recent clashes between government forces and a rebel militia, the White Army (believed to be allied with Machar), in Upper Nile state have fueled the crisis. The attack on a UN helicopter evacuating government troops from Nasir, resulting in several deaths including a South Sudanese general, further heightened tensions. Following the White Army’s seizure of Nasir, Machar’s home in Juba was surrounded, and several of his allies, including Deputy army chief Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, were arrested.

These events follow earlier moves by Kiir to dismiss officials loyal to Machar, actions that Machar claims violate their peace agreement. While Kiir has called for calm, the US has ordered the departure of non-emergency government personnel from Juba, and the UN warns of a potential reversal of years of progress.

The deployment underscores the precarious security situation in South Sudan, which has struggled with instability since its independence in 2011. A previous civil war between Kiir and Machar, lasting from 2013 to 2018, resulted in over 400,000 deaths. Although a peace deal was signed in 2018, the rivalry between the two leaders, hampered by unfulfilled reforms and postponed elections (now scheduled for 2026), continues to threaten peace. Both leaders face pressure from the US and other international actors to implement the peace agreement and prepare for elections.

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