Uganda Deploys Special Forces to Juba Amid Intensifying…

Uganda has sent special forces to support President Salva Kiir amid rising tensions with First Vice President Riek Machar. The deployment coincides with a crackdown on Machar’s allies, raising fears about the stability of the 2018 peace agreement. Machar has condemned recent arrests and called for the reinstatement of officials removed in a Cabinet reshuffle.

Uganda has deployed special forces to Juba to support the government of South Sudanese President Salva Kiir amid escalating tensions with First Vice President Riek Machar. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, has confirmed that Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) commandos have arrived in Juba, initiating an operation named Mlinzi wa Kimya.

This deployment aligns with a crackdown by Kiir’s administration against allies of Machar, who has faced the detention of two ministers and several senior military officials loyal to him. One minister had been released since their detention. Concerns have heightened over the fragile peace agreement established in 2018, which aimed to conclude a devastating civil war that resulted in nearly 400,000 casualties and millions displaced.

Although the power-sharing agreement reinstated Machar as Vice President in a unity government formed in 2020, the process has been hampered by delays and ongoing political disputes, particularly regarding the integration of military groups into a unified army. Historically, Uganda has been involved in South Sudan’s conflicts, having intervened during the civil war’s outbreak in 2013 to support Kiir’s government.

The recent crackdown on Machar’s allies has led to allegations that Kiir’s Cabinet reshuffle threatens the stability of the power-sharing deal. Machar has condemned these arrests and demands the reinstatement of those officials removed, asserting that such actions violate the existing power-sharing agreement. Opposition figures have expressed alarm about the prospect of renewed conflict, raising concerns that the peace agreement’s sustainability is increasingly in jeopardy. Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan continues to grapple with internal strife and deferred elections.

In summary, Uganda’s deployment of special forces to South Sudan underscores the escalating tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar. The arrest of Machar’s allies and the recent Cabinet reshuffle have raised serious concerns regarding the fragile peace agreement established in 2018. With the longstanding history of conflict in the region, the risk of a return to war appears increasingly imminent.

Original Source: www.capitalfm.co.ke