MPs endorse UPDF's South Sudan mission
President Museveni atop a UPDF armoured truck during his visit to the soldiers on the frontline in South Sudan in 2019. PHOTO | PPU
What you need to know:
- The Thursday afternoon plenary sitting didn't debate the matter, with Parliament agreeing to the reason that the deployment was a delicate concern.
Parliament has endorsed the government's deployment of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in South Sudan.
During the Thursday, March 20, 2025 plenary sitting, the Parliament agreed to the justification by Defence Minister Mr Jacob Oboth Oboth who reasoned that the deployment would enable Uganda not only contribute to East Africa’s stability but also deepens patriotism within the region.
“Uganda also has a longstanding role in safeguarding the lives and property of Ugandans and Africans at large through strategic military interventions, in various countries across the continent,” Mr Oboth Oboth told colleagues in plenary as he tabled the motion seeking Parliament’s approval on the matter.
He added: “The deployment in South Sudan was also done in the spirit of brotherhood, solidarity, security of Uganda and the economy, as well as the shared historical and regional ties between Uganda and South Sudan.”
The Thursday afternoon plenary sitting didn't debate the matter, with Parliament agreeing to the reason that the deployment was a delicate concern.
On Tuesday last week, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba confirmed the deployment of the UPDF in South Sudan. The CDF used his X (formerly Twitter) handle to confirm that the troops had been sent to Juba to beef up the security of Uganda’s neighbours in the North.
Just hours after his message went out, a section of legislators in the opposition tasked Defence Minister Oboth Oboth who was in attendance to explain to Parliament. Specifically, Mr Ssemujju Nganda and Mr Jonathan Odur demanded that Minister Oboth Oboth elaborate on how the government had deployed the troops without prior approval of Parliament.
In what appeared as a shocking response, the Minister informed Parliament that he had not been aware of the deployment. Consequently, Deputy Speaker Mr Thomas Tayebwa who chaired plenary on the said Tuesday directed that the Ministry of Defence prepare a formal communication that would be tabled in Parliament on the said subject.
However, before the formal government position could be tabled in Parliament, the ruling party National Resistance Movement (NRM) Parliamentary Caucus was summoned to an ‘urgent’ meeting that was chaired by President Museveni at State House- Entebbe on Friday 14th March.
The closed door was updated on UPDF deployment in South Sudan and they resolved to support the government move to send troops to Juda, something that was registered in Parliament when Minister Oboth Oboth tabled motion on the said matter.
