"UPDF Are In South Sudan Without My Knowledge." UPDF Deployment in South Sudan Sparks Controversy

On 11 March 2025, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of Uganda's Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, made public that he had sent the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) special forces to Juba, South Sudan.

He said the operation, codenamed 'Mlinzi wa Kimya' (The Silent Guardian), aims to support the South Sudan People's Defence Force (SSPDF) in securing the capital as tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar escalate.

But this deployment has been controversial within Uganda's government. Defence Minister Jacob Oboth said he did not know of the UPDF in South Sudan, adding that he had not been to any meetings authorizing such a deployment.

He requested Parliament for additional time to verify these claims.

The issue was brought out by Member of Parliament Ssemujju Nganda representing Kira Municipality, who requested that Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa adjourn parliamentary business pending the government providing a clear explanation for the deployment of the UPDF without parliament's constitutionally required authority.

The matter is also complicated by conflicting reports from South Sudanese officials. Minister of Information Michael Makuei and Foreign Ministry spokesperson Apuk Ayuel Mayen both dismissed the presence of Ugandan troops in their country, contrary to what General Kainerugaba alleged.

This is a matter of concern with implications for the legality of utilizing the deployment of troops in the military and its potential impact on regional stability. As things progress, the issue of transparency around the mandate and objective of the UPDF deployment in South Sudan is at the top of the agenda of Ugandan and South Sudanese policymakers.