South Sudan’s First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, has strongly condemned Uganda’s military intervention in his country, calling it a blatant violation of South Sudan’s sovereignty and multiple international agreements.
In a letter dated March 21, 2025, addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, AU Peace and Security Commissioner Bankole Adeoye, and IGAD Chair Ismail Omar Guelleh, Machar demanded the immediate withdrawal of Ugandan forces from South Sudanese territory.
“The Ugandan military intervention constitutes a grave violation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and the Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities, Protection of Civilians, and Humanitarian Access (COHA),” Machar wrote.
He further accused Uganda of breaching UN Security Council Resolutions 2428 and 2731, which placed an arms embargo on South Sudan.
Machar claimed that Ugandan troops, backed by armored vehicles and air force units, had conducted airstrikes on civilian populations in Upper Nile and Jonglei states.
“The Ugandan forces are currently taking part in airstrikes against civilians in Nasir, Longechuk, and Ulang counties in Upper Nile State, as well as Akobo County in Jonglei State,” Machar alleged.
Despite Machar’s objections, South Sudan’s Minister of Information, Michael Makuei Leuth, defended Uganda’s military presence, arguing that it was covered under a long-standing security pact between the two nations.
“The government of South Sudan and the government of Uganda signed a military agreement during the fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA),” Makuei stated. “That pact has never been nullified, and we invoke it when necessary. The UPDF forces currently in South Sudan are support and technical units, here to assist their South Sudanese counterparts.”
Uganda’s military operation, code-named Mlinzi wa Kimya (“Guardian of Silence”), was launched on March 11, 2025. Elite special operations forces entered South Sudan through Juba International Airport, while additional UPDF units reinforced the mission via the Bibia and Nimule border crossings. The operation is under the command of Brigadier General Anthony Mbuusi Lukwago.
On March 10, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, publicly confirmed the deployment. However, Machar has urged the African Union, IGAD, and the UN Security Council to intervene and pressure Uganda to withdraw its forces immediately.
