JUBA- President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Thursday arrived in the capital, Juba, for a working visit to the Republic of South Sudan and was received upon arrival at Juba International Airport by his host, President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
Among those at the airport to receive President Museveni were South Sudan’s Minister of Presidential Affairs, Hon Chol Mawut Ajongo; the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon Ramadan Muhammed Abdalla, the Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs, Hon Chol Thon Balok and other senior government officials.
On the Ugandan side, the President was welcomed by the Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs, Hon Jacob Oboth Oboth, Senior Presidential Advisor on Defence and Security Gen Proscovia Nalweyiso, Ugandan Ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan Brig Gen Ronnie Balya and others.
President Museveni then held a crucial meeting with President Salva Kiir, which focused on the escalating political and security tensions in the country.
President Museveni’s visit comes at a time when South Sudan is facing severe turmoil due to internal conflicts within Kiir’s government who recently fell out with his First Vice President Dr Riek Machar, leading to the latter and his wife Angelina Teny, the Minister for Internal Affairs being placed under house arrest.
In 2016, major fallout in South Sudan government saw President Museveni intervene with both troops and his wisdom as former chief of South Sudan army Paul Malong was placed under house arrest
Our sources revealed that Museveni will push for a renewed dialogue between President Kiir and Dr Machar, as well as address concerns over Uganda’s military presence in South Sudan.
However, given the deep-seated animosity between the two leaders, it remains uncertain whether Museveni’s intervention will yield any meaningful progress
It should be remembered that last week, the African Union’s High Representative for Infrastructure Development who doubles as Kenyan President William Ruto’s Special Envoy for South Sudan, Raila Odinga visited Juba in an attempt to mediate between Kiir and Machar.
However, his efforts failed after he was denied a meeting with Dr Machar and he travelled back home via Entebbe for a meeting with President Museveni.
He claimed that he had been asked by the President Kiir government to seek permission from President Museveni if he was to meet Machar, an allegation the South Sudan presidency has since strongly disputed.
The fallout between Kiir and Machar has been exacerbated by disputes over the peace implementation process, security force control, and the allocation of government positions and tensions escalated further last month when Uganda deployed its elite forces into South Sudan, a move that sparked criticism from Dr Machar and his allies.
Dr Machar has accused Uganda of violating international agreements by deploying troops and launching airstrikes against civilian targets in Upper Nile and Jonglei states.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Dr Machar called for the immediate withdrawal of Ugandan forces, arguing that their presence undermines South Sudan’s transition to democracy and threatens to reignite conflict.
In early March, President Kiir ordered the arrest of several senior officials linked to Dr Machar, including Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol and Deputy Army Chief Gabriel Doup Lam and other military officials allied with Machar have been placed under house arrest.
The crackdown followed violent clashes in Nasir, a strategic northern town, where government forces battled the White Army militia—an armed Nuer group that fought alongside Machar’s forces during the civil war.
Tensions further escalated on March 7th when an attack on a military base in Nasir County resulted in the death of General Majur Dak Thel and several officers and President Kiir blamed Dr Machar’s forces for the attack which further deepening the rift.
The situation worsened when Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, confirmed the deployment of Ugandan commandos into South Sudan under the operation code-named ‘Mlinzi wa Kimya.’
Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba praised the Ugandan Air Force for striking enemy positions, confirming Uganda’s active military engagement in South Sudan.
Dr Machar has since urged the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the United Nations Security Council to intervene and pressure Uganda to withdraw its troops and argues that Uganda’s military presence violates UN Security Council Resolution 2428 (2018), which imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan and was recently extended by Resolution 2731 (2024).
The government of Uganda, however, has historically defended its military interventions in South Sudan as necessary to maintain regional stability.
It should be remembered that Uganda played a key role in supporting President Kiir’s government during the 2013-2018 civil war, deploying troops to prevent the capital, Juba, from falling to Dr Machar’s forces.
As the situation in South Sudan continues to deteriorate, the outcome of President Museveni’s visit could make significant implications for the region’s stability and the international community will be closely watching the developments in Juba City, hoping for a peaceful resolution to prevent another outbreak of violence in Africa’s youngest nation.
