Uganda says it has deployed troops in South Sudan capital

Uganda has sent special forces to Juba amid rising tensions between President Kiir and Vice President Machar, threatening the 2018 peace deal.

Uganda has deployed special forces to South Sudan's capital, Juba, to "secure the city," according to Uganda's military chief, amid rising tensions between South Sudan's president and first vice president that have sparked concerns of a return to civil war.

The deployment, which was requested by the South Sudanese government, follows recent tensions after President Salva Kiir's administration detained two ministers and several senior military officials loyal to First Vice President Riek Machar. While one of the ministers has been released, the arrests and deadly clashes in the northern town of Nasir are threatening the peace deal that ended South Sudan's five-year civil war in 2018, which resulted in nearly 400,000 deaths.

Uganda's military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, confirmed the deployment on social media, stating that the Ugandan People's Defence Force (UPDF) only recognizes Salva Kiir as South Sudan's president, and any move against him would be viewed as a declaration of war against Uganda.

Uganda's military spokesperson, Felix Kulayigye, added that the troops are in Juba with the consent of the South Sudanese government, though he did not specify the number of soldiers deployed or how long they would remain.

Uganda has previously intervened in South Sudan’s conflict, sending troops to support Kiir's forces in 2013 and again in 2016 following renewed fighting. Uganda is concerned that a full-scale conflict could lead to a refugee crisis and regional instability.

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