A coalition of South Sudanese politicians, religious leaders, and academicians signals the presence of heavily armed foreign forces at the periphery west of South Sudan’s the national capital, Juba, causing panic among the city dwellers.
National Consensus Forum [NCF] asserts that it is deeply disturbed by the presence of forces purported to be units from the Uganda People’s Defence Force [UPDF] on the farm adjacent to the military base of President Salva Kiir in Luri, about 7 kilometers west of Juba.
The group claims it received credible information from the sources in Juba about three battalion-size heavily armed foreign forces that have been deployed to Luri since March 18, 2024.
Attempts to reach the army spokesperson for comment have been futile.
NCF says additional forces have been deployed in some areas totaling six battalions.
The group criticizes South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, for undermining the country’s sovereignty and squeezing the ability of regular forces to dispense their duties and obligations to defend and maintain security in the country.
“This barbaric act of President Kiir undermines the sovereignty of South Sudan and the ability of the Security Organs to dispense their duties and obligations of defending and maintaining Security in the country,” the statement seen by Golden Times partly read.
NCF fears the presence of foreign troops in the national capital, Juba signals preparations for another round of armed violence like that of 2013 and 2016.
“Civilians are worried that this unexpected deployment may be preparation for another round of violence in the city. This deployment of foreign forces, believed to have been funded by President Kiir, is causing serious fears and resentment among civil servants and security forces in the country,” the statement read.
In 2013, Uganda deployed an unconfirmed number of its soldiers to Juba, as the situation in the capital and Jonglei state was volatile following the outbreak of civil war between the forces loyal to President Kiir and fighters of then Vice-President Riek Machar Teny, killing about 400,000 people.
President Kiir and his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, have been maintaining close military ties under the pretext of maintaining peace and the rule of law in South Sudan.
The body further pleads to President Salva Kiir to refrain from any attempts to orchestrate another round of civil war in the country and instead redirect attention to the peaceful search for lasting peace in the country.
The National Consensus Forum (NCF) is an umbrella organization comprising 21 South Sudanese Political, Civil Society, Women, Youth, and Faith-Based Organizations and the Academic and Professional Association and represents a major segment of the South Sudanese Society.
The umbrella includes prominent figures of the holdout groups such as Pagan Amum Okech, Thomas Cirilo, and Paul Malong Awan among others.
