Uganda Military Support Hurts More Than Helps South Sudan
The agreement of the Uganda government to buy weapons and military hardware for the South Sudan government only serves to extend civil warfare and disadvantages citizens, and should thus cease.
Uganda recently signed an agreement with South Sudan’s government to buy military weapons to support the Sudan government. There is civil conflict between the state military and rebel accounts, for the South Sudan President Salva Kiir and the ex-vice president Riek Machar, who was accused of plotting a coup against the government. The current South Sudan Defense Minister Kuol Manyang Juuk claims that the additional arms are meant to “bolster security” and not supposed to violate the present cease-fire between the rebel and governmental army. On the other hand, the rebel spokesperson James Gatdet Dak describes the agreement between the Sudan government and Uganda as a Ugandan effort to encourage war.
This is not the first time Uganda has aided South Sudanese government in civil conflict. In December of 2013, Uganda also dispatched troops to President Kiir against Machar’s rebel army, which resulted in continued conflict. There is a precedent there, which demonstrates the lack of benefit for the state through continued military assistance. This military support from non-state actors such as Uganda undermine the South Sudan state through the provision of means used to extend disagreement between the South Sudan government and rebel opposition.
The continued provision of military aid from neighbouring countries only serves to extend the conflict. Uganda’s military support to the South Sudan government is also for the sake of economic and political self-interests, as a neighbouring country. Such political turmoil in South Sudan would allow Uganda more authority in the region as their contributions to the failing country increase. Meanwhile, an approximated 1.5 million people have been displaced from the conflicts, with more than 10,000 people killed from conflict. Nongovernmental organizations such as Oxfam have denounced the continued warfare, as it can lead to potential famine in South Sudan. While government militia and rebel groups fight for territorial control, meanwhile civilians are suffering in the state.
President Kiir has control over several towns and oil rich regions, but rebel militia still control territory. There have been numerous attempts to negotiate regional peace. The United States organized a cease-fire deal in May that quickly failed, and East African mediators also failed to organize the two sides to consent to power-sharing governmental authority. In September 2014, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power warned that continued warfare could lead to the United Nations imposing sanctions on South Sudan. The sanctions would serve to further cripple the internally conflicting state economically as well.
Overall, the Uganda government (and all other state governments) should stop providing military support towards the Sudanese civil conflicts. Such government supports serve to fuel reason for continued conflict, which meanwhile displaces and harms citizens, and non-state military support should cease.