Machar outraged by UPDF presence in S.Sudan as he Reports to UN
Bahati shalom
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
South Sudan’s First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon
Juba— South Sudan’s First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, has strongly opposed the presence of Ugandan troops in South Sudan, calling it a serious threat to peace and sovereignty. In a letter dated March 21, 2025, Machar asked the United Nations, African Union, and IGAD to help push Uganda to withdraw its military.
“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 claimed Uganda's actions also go against UN Security Council Resolutions 2428 and 2731, which ban arms supplies to South Sudan. According to him, Ugandan troops entered with air and armored units and have launched deadly airstrikes in several regions.
“The Ugandan forces are currently taking part in air strikes against civilians in counties of Nasir, Longechuk and Ulang in Upper Nile State, and Akobo County in Jonglei State,” he said.
Ugandan Troops Enter South Sudan Under “Operation Mlinzi wa Kimya”
Uganda’s army, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), entered South Sudan on March 11, 2025, in a mission called Operation Mlinzi wa Kimya, meaning Guardian of Silence. They were led by Brig. Gen. Anthony Mbuusi Lukwago, a veteran officer who previously commanded troops in Somalia.
The mission came into the spotlight after Uganda’s military leader, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, posted online:
"UPDF Commandos arriving in Juba to support South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) in the current crisis."
He also sent a stern warning to the Nuer militia group known as the White Army:
"Our mission in South Sudan has just begun. I want to offer the White Army an opportunity to surrender to UPDF forces before it is too late... if you dare fight us, you will all die."
This military support was approved by Uganda’s ruling party caucus, which described it as a step to protect regional peace and prevent conflict from spreading.
South Sudan Government Defends Uganda’s Presence
South Sudan’s Minister of Information, Michael Makuei Leuth, defended the UPDF deployment, saying it was based on a past agreement signed during the fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA):
“The government of South Sudan and the government of Uganda have a military pact that was signed since the time of the LRA,” he said. “This agreement has not been nullified… The UPDF forces… have come to support their brothers and sisters in the SSPDF.”
Machar and Opposition Reject Deployment
Machar dismissed this agreement, arguing it was signed before the current transitional government and is no longer valid. He said the Revitalized Peace Agreement demands all foreign troops to leave the country during the transitional period.
“The Revitalized Agreement takes precedence… and requires that all non-South Sudanese armed groups leave the country within the Pre-Transitional Period,” Machar emphasized.
He suggested that problems like the violence in Nasir should be handled internally using peace tools like the Joint Defence Board (JDB).
Machar also reminded Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni of his responsibility as a peace guarantor:
“Our expectation is that Uganda and H.E. President Museveni continue to play the instrumental role of ensuring the implementation of the Agreement that would lead to sustainable peace, stability, and democratic elections in South Sudan.”
But tensions are rising. The SPLM/A-IO, Machar’s group, has pulled out of several peace committees, saying Uganda’s military presence is like a declaration of war:
"The invitation and the presence of Uganda Peoples’ Defense Forces (UPDF) in the country depicts a mens rea (intention) and preparation for war," they said in a statement on March 17.
Deputy Chairman Oyet Nathaniel Pierino pointed out three major issues: illegal detention of their members, deployment of UPDF, and ethnic targeting of the Nuer community.
Violence Escalates in Upper Nile
Fighting has worsened in Nasir, Upper Nile State. Bombings by SSPDF and UPDF planes hit the town twice. On March 17, an airstrike reportedly killed 21 people. Another bombing on March 19 injured a woman and her 2-year-old child.
“The market has been burned down... four bombs targeted my compound. This is where the mother and child were hurt,” said Nasir County Commissioner Gatluak Lew Thiep.
Peace researcher Jan Pospisil explained that the violence began in February 2025 when the White Army clashed with government soldiers. After heavy losses, the militia captured parts of an army base in Nasir on March 4.
Then on March 7, a failed evacuation led to the death of 27 soldiers, including a senior commander and a UN worker. In response, the government arrested opposition figures like Oil Minister Puot Kang Chol and SPLA-IO chief of staff Gabriel Duop Lam—moves seen as politically driven.
"The government’s narrative suggests that the opposition orchestrated the White Army attacks... However, this ignores the fact that the White Army has historically acted independently," said Pospisil.
Ethnic and Political Rivalries Behind the Crisis
Experts believe that deep ethnic divisions and power struggles between President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar are at the heart of the unrest. Kiir is from the Dinka ethnic group, while Machar is from the Nuer group.
Both fought together during the liberation war, but split in 1991 after Machar’s faction was accused of killing Dinka civilians in Bor—a tragedy that still haunts national unity.
Even after signing the 2018 peace agreement, both leaders are still seen as mainly interested in holding power and protecting their inner circles.
"The difficulty lies in agreeing on how to organise, distribute and cooperate within a nation that consists of dozens of ethnic groups," said political expert Prof. Carlo Koos.
Fears of Full Civil War
With Ugandan troops on the ground, opposition leaders in jail, and airstrikes killing civilians, there are serious concerns that South Sudan could return to full civil war. Uganda, which has previously sent troops to South Sudan in 2013 and 2016, fears a spillover of violence and refugees crossing its border.
However, many believe Uganda’s military presence is worsening the situation, not improving it.
“President Kiir and First Vice President Machar bear the primary responsibility to stop the violence immediately,” said civil society activist Edmund Yakani.
Machar ended his letter by stressing the need for dialogue:
“Our conviction is that all violations… can only be addressed through dialogue among the parties with the support of the guarantors, regional and international partners.”
He also warned:
“There is fear from our part that these challenges, including the Ugandan intervention, may lead to the collapse of the Agreement… The country cannot afford any kind of violence, our people have suffered for too long.”
