Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has accused Uganda of violating the United Nations arms embargo on South Sudan by deploying troops and military hardware into the country without notifying the UN Security Council.
In a statement released Wednesday, Amnesty urged the Security Council to renew and enforce the embargo, which is set to expire on May 31, 2025, warning that lifting the restrictions now could worsen an already fragile security situation.
The accusations come amid rising tensions and renewed clashes between rival forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, despite a 2018 peace agreement aimed at ending South Sudan’s five-year civil war.
Amnesty cited verified footage and satellite imagery showing Ugandan military personnel and armored vehicles, including tanks, entering South Sudan via a border crossing on March 17. The deployment was later confirmed by Uganda’s parliament, which stated that the move followed a formal request from President Kiir to prevent a “security breakdown.”
However, under the current UN arms embargo, all arms transfers and military support to South Sudan are prohibited unless cleared in advance through the UN Security Council. Amnesty claims neither Uganda nor South Sudan followed the required notification procedures.
“While the embargo has not completely stopped the flow of weapons, it has acted as a brake on arms proliferation,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty’s regional director for East and Southern Africa. “Removing it now would be a mistake that risks fueling more violence.”
The organization also expressed concern over reports that attack helicopters, previously grounded in South Sudan due to parts shortages, have recently been used in combat—raising questions about how they were repaired and whether embargo rules were breached.
In a particularly disturbing incident, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that one of its hospitals in South Sudan was struck by helicopter gunfire on May 3, resulting in seven civilian deaths. Amnesty is calling for an independent investigation into the attack.
Ugandan military officials have not issued a formal response to the allegations.
As the Security Council weighs whether to extend the arms embargo, human rights advocates warn that premature relaxation of restrictions could destabilize South Sudan’s fragile peace process and worsen civilian suffering.