South Sudan rebels demand UN hold Uganda accountable for alleged role in ‘genocide’

JUBA – The main armed opposition in South Sudan has called on the United Nations Security Council to take immediate action against Uganda, accusing the neighboring country of deploying fresh combat troops across the border to support a government offensive that rebels claim amounts to a “genocidal war.”

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) alleged that a convoy of Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) crossed into South Sudan via the Nimule border point earlier in the day.

The opposition group contends these forces have been dispatched to bolster the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) as they prepare for a major military operation in the eastern Jonglei State and Central Equatoria.

“The use of Ugandan air and ground forces by South Sudan’s morally corrupted, tribal tyrant and his tribal warmongers in their genocidal war against one ethnic group in South Sudan does not only violate the UN arms embargo on South Sudan but also enhances the regime’s capability to exterminate the ethnic group in question,” said Pal Mai Deng, the SPLM-IO Spokesperson.

Deng explicitly accused Kampala of direct involvement in the conflict, stating that “additional Ugandan troops crossed into South Sudan to join the forces of the regime on genocide mission.”

He urged the international community to hold the Ugandan government accountable for what he termed a violation of South Sudan’s sovereignty and the existing UN arms embargo.

The rebel allegations of Ugandan intervention come at a moment of heightened tension across South Sudan. Government troops have been massing in the town of Bor in Jonglei State over the week, following a series of territorial losses to the SPLM-IO, including the capture of Pajut in Duk County and Panyume in Central Equatoria.

On Tuesday, South Sudan’s army chief, Gen. Paul Nang Majok, issued a seven-day ultimatum to his forces to crush the rebellion, raising fears of an imminent return to full-scale hostilities.

The involvement of Ugandan troops, if confirmed, would mark a significant escalation, echoing the early stages of South Sudan’s civil war in 2013.

During that conflict, Uganda deployed thousands of soldiers and provided air support in key towns like Bor, an intervention widely credited with preventing the collapse of President Salva Kiir’s government in the face of an advance by opposition forces loyal to Riek Machar.

Although the UPDF officially withdrew following the 2015 peace agreement, the SPLM-IO has frequently accused Kampala of maintaining a covert security presence and supplying logistical backing to Kiir’s administration.

In early 2025, Ugandan units were again deployed to South Sudan following an outbreak of hostilities in Nasir County, Upper Nile State.

While Kampala stated at the time that the deployment was strictly limited to Juba for the protection of the presidency, opposition officials and human right groups have since accused the UPDF of expanding its role to include air support for government operations, alleging the use of chemical compounds against civilians in rebel-held areas.

In his statement, Deng also broadened his accusations to include the Central African Republic (CAR). He claimed that the government in Juba has been seeking alternative routes to bypass UN sanctions to acquire advanced weaponry.

“Two weeks back, the regime discussed with the Defense Minister of Central African Republic importation of sophisticated weapons through the Central African Republic and signing a military deal with mercenaries from the Central African Republic,” Deng said.

He argued that such actions constitute a flagrant violation of the UN restrictions on arms transfers to the country.

The opposition official called on the UN Security Council to “toughen arms embargo sanctions on South Sudan” and to pressure the government in Juba to allow humanitarian access to areas controlled by the SPLM-IO, which he said are currently under blockade.

Neither the South Sudanese government nor Ugandan authorities have immediately responded to the allegations of a fresh cross-border deployment.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has previously warned that the renewed mobilization of forces in Jonglei and Upper Nile poses a severe threat to the fragile 2018 peace deal and the safety of civilians, thousands of whom have already been displaced by the recent flare-up in fighting.

Deng insisted that the UN must not remain passive.

“The UN must work to protect its values and credibility. It can’t allow itself to be lulled by an action of a country like Uganda going into another country to carry out genocide,” he said.