Arop Jonchol
Report: Alnaeim Mubarak Kuol
South Sudan’s First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, leader of the opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), has called on the United Nations, the African Union, and the East African bloc IGAD to intervene and save the revitalized peace agreement. He also condemned the presence of the Ugandan military in the country.
In a letter dated March 23, published in the media, Dr. Machar accused Uganda of violating international agreements by deploying its forces without approval from South Sudan’s transitional government.
Dr. Machar directly addressed the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, African Union Peace and Security Commissioner Bankole Adeoye, and IGAD Chairperson Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti. Mr. Machar stated that Uganda’s presence violates the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement (R-ARCSS), which calls for the withdrawal of foreign forces. He referred to violations of Articles 2.1.5 and 2.1.7, as well as the 2017 ceasefire agreement.
The letter also accused the Ugandan military of carrying out airstrikes in Upper Nile and Jonglei states, allegedly targeting civilians. No response has been received from the Ugandan government regarding these accusations as of now.
Dr. Machar warned that this situation could hinder ongoing efforts to achieve democratic transformation in South Sudan and called for intervention by mediators. He wrote, “Uganda was a key guarantor of the peace agreement, and we expected President [Yoweri] Museveni to support its implementation, not undermine it.”
Uganda first sent troops to South Sudan in 2014 at the onset of the armed conflict between the government and opposition, as part of an old security agreement between the two countries to pursue the Lord’s Resistance Army operating along their borders. Dr. Machar pointed out that the current administration did not ratify this agreement, making their presence unlawful under the 2018 peace agreement.
Dr. Machar also mentioned that the UN has imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan since the signing of the 2018 peace agreement.
It is worth noting that two weeks ago, Uganda deployed special forces, and this was confirmed by the Minister of Information and official government spokesperson Michael Makuei Lueth, in a press conference in Juba, stating that the forces were helping with technical operations for the South Sudanese Defense Forces in the fight against terrorism, as he described the White Army that attacked Nasser in Upper Nile state.
The Ugandan military chief stated on his personal page on the X platform that the forces were sent to help “secure” Juba and “support” President Salva Kiir. Tensions between President Salva Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar have escalated as the peace agreement to resolve the armed conflict in South Sudan faces delays, with reports of recent clashes in several areas in Bahr el Ghazal, Western Equatoria, Upper Nile, and Jonglei states.
The two main partners have failed to hold a high-level meeting to discuss the issues and peaceful solutions to ensure that the country does not return to war again.
