Uganda rejects UN claims of targeting civilians in South Sudan airstrikes
Uganda’s defence ministry said the UN report was not exhaustive and that its troops had prevented escalation in fighting and stopped atrocities in South Sudan.
Uganda has denied accusations by a UN inquiry that found its troops had helped South Sudan carry out airstrikes that killed and badly burned civilians a year ago.
The report by the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said joint aerial bombardments by South Sudan and Uganda had “targeted civilian-populated areas predominantly affecting Nuer communities in opposition-affiliated areas”.
Uganda’s defence ministry on Tuesday said the UN report was not exhaustive and that its troops in South Sudan had prevented escalation in fighting and stopped atrocities against the population.
"UPDF (Uganda People Defence Forces) has never targeted civilians in its 45-year cherished history," the Ugandan defence ministry said on Tuesday in a statement.
Ugandan troops are deployed in South Sudan to help the government of President Salva Kiir against forces loyal to opposition figure Riek Machar, who was suspended as vice president in September after he faced criminal charges.
Bilateral agreement
Ugandan military authorities say troops are in South Sudan at the invitation of the South Sudan government and in accordance with a bilateral security agreement.
The attacks cited in the UN report involved widespread use of “improvised incendiary devices,” it said.
During one attack in March 2025 in Wunaliet, 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the capital of Juba, homes were engulfed after planes dropped “barrels of liquid that ignited,” witnesses told the U.N. commission.
Survivors said they saw “civilians set alight, including a boy burnt beyond recognition.” A barracks, housing opposition soldiers, was also struck.
A day after the attack, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s top military commander, posted on X that Uganda had bombed opposition forces.
“Our air offensive will not stop until Riek Machar makes peace with my uncle Afande Salva,” he wrote. While Kiir is not actually Kainerugaba’s uncle, the term shows the closeness of the two governments.
The post, which was later deleted, accompanied a video appearing to show fiery explosions captured from an in-flight aircraft.
‘Chemical weapons’
The UN report does not state conclusively how many operations Uganda was involved in or the exact nature of their involvement, only that there appeared to be “high degrees of planning, operational integration and command-level authorization.”
In November, Uganda denied participating in any combat operations in South Sudan. It has also denied using “chemical weapons and barrel bombs” and said it does not attack civilians.