More Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) troops have been sent to South Sudan to support commandos who arrived in Juba last week under Operation ‘Mlinzi wa Kimya’.

Officials told ChimpReports on Tuesday that the “troops have been deployed to assist the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) following rising tensions” between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar.

“UPDF Commandos arriving in Juba to support South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) in the current crisis,” the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, posted on X last week. His post included a video showing Special Forces Command troops alighting from a helicopter in South Sudan. 

South Sudan’s current crisis bears striking similarities to the events leading to the 2015 civil war, when political disputes between Kiir and Machar escalated into full-scale fighting, displacing millions of people and leading to mass atrocities. 

The recent battle for control of Nasir, where the White Army—a Nuer youth militia—overran SSPDF positions, has further heightened tensions. 

The government has accused SPLM/A-IO of backing the offensive, leading to a security crackdown and mass arrests of opposition figures.

The UN Commission has compared the current situation to past conflicts, warning that South Sudan is on the verge of another war.

“What we are witnessing now is a return to the reckless power struggles that have devastated the country in the past,” said Commissioner Barney Afako.