Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni arrived in South Sudan on Thursday in a high-level visit as tensions escalate following the detention of First Vice President Riek Machar, raising fears of renewed civil war.
Museveni was welcomed in Juba by President Salva Kiir, whose administration has accused Machar of inciting rebellion and placed him under house arrest. The visit follows mediation efforts by the African Union and an East African regional bloc aimed at de-escalating the crisis.
Though Uganda deployed troops to South Sudan’s capital last month at Kiir’s request, Museveni avoided directly addressing the crisis in his public remarks, saying his talks with Kiir would focus on “strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation.”
The standoff between Kiir and Machar, who led opposing sides in South Sudan’s 2013-2018 civil war, has drawn warnings from the United Nations that the country could be on the brink of another ethnic conflict. Uganda, which backed Kiir during the previous war, recently sent troops following clashes between the South Sudanese army and an ethnic Nuer militia in Upper Nile state.
Machar’s party denies government accusations that he remains linked to the White Army militia, which fought alongside his forces in the past. Meanwhile, Uganda’s military chief, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba—Museveni’s son—announced on Tuesday that Ugandan forces would halt attacks on the White Army if it ceased hostilities against Ugandan troops.
Machar’s allies have condemned Uganda’s intervention as a violation of South Sudan’s arms embargo. Analysts suggest Kiir, 73, is consolidating power amid internal political rifts and growing speculation about his succession plans.
