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Shadow Finance Minister Ibrahim Ssemujju Calls for Reopening Debate on UPDF Deployment in South Sudan

07 April, 2025
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The Shadow Minister of Finance and Kira Municipality Member of Parliament, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, is calling for the reopening of the debate on the deployment of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in South Sudan.


Ssemujju's call comes amid growing concerns over Uganda's continued military involvement in the region. 

Ssemujju said on top of the financial implications of the deployment, there is even heightened urgency to discuss the matter after accusations by opposition groups that UPDF had used chemical weapons in some parts of Northern South Sudan held by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement in Opposition-SPLM/A-IO.

The SPLM/A-IO is led by the First Vice President Dr Riek Machar, who is currently under house arrest in Juba.

For over a month, there has been fear of resumption of a full-scale civil war in South Sudan after the fallout between President Salva Kiir and Machar following attacks on the national army, the SSPDF, in greater Upper Nile and Unity States. Kiir followed the attacks by arresting and detaining several SPLA/M-IO officials, including Machar and his wife Angelina Teny, who have been under house arrest in their home in Juba. 

As a means of securing his regime, Kiir invited the UPDF for reinforcement, which has since been deployed in the capital, Juba, and other parts of South Sudan. Ssemujju says the law only envisages two scenarios under which parliament can authorize deployment of the UPDF outside the country: peacekeeping and peace enforcement. 

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