UN Report Accuses Ugandan Troops of Aiding Deadly South Sudan Airstrikes. Juba, South Sudan — A United Nations inquiry has revealed that Ugandan troops assisted in deadly airstrikes carried out in South Sudan, targeting civilian-populated areas predominantly affecting the Nuer community in opposition-affiliated areas.
The report by the U.
N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan details the joint aerial bombardments by South Sudan and Uganda, which resulted in civilian casualties and widespread destruction.
Ugandan troops are present in South Sudan at the invitation of the government of President Salva Kiir, to support his forces against those loyal to opposition figure Riek Machar.
The report states that the attacks involved the widespread use of “improvised incendiary devices, “which led to the deaths and severe burns of civilians.
The Ugandan military authorities assert that their troops are in South Sudan under a bilateral security agreement and at the invitation of the South Sudan government.
The situation has escalated since Machar was suspended as vice president in September and placed under house arrest in March 2025, amid allegations of orchestrating an attack on a military garrison near the Ethiopian border.
Machar denies the charges.
The Ugandan forces entered South Sudan in March 2025, deploying military hardware, including tanks and armored vehicles. This intervention followed a series of conflicts and the government’s reliance on aerial attacks to gain the upper hand in the ongoing conflict with Machar’s forces and other armed groups.
The U. N. Report highlights a specific attack in March 2025 in Wunaliet, where homes were engulfed after planes dropped “barrels of liquid that ignited, “according to witnesses.
The survivors described seeing “civilians set alight, including a boy burnt beyond recognition.”
The Ugandan army, led by Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Museveni’s son, confirmed the bombing on social media, though the post was later deleted.
Flight tracking data indicates that a turboprop plane involved in the bombing had arrived from Uganda and was operated by the Ugandan army.
The report suggests a high degree of planning, operational integration, and command — level authorization in the attacks. Uganda has previously denied participating in combat operations in South Sudan and denied using “chemical weapons and barrel bombs.”.
It also stated that it does not attack civilians.
However, Amnesty International and an U. N.
Panel of experts have accused Uganda of violating a 2018 U.
N. Arms embargo that prohibits military assistance to South Sudan.
Further details are expected as the situation develops.
Sources: Original article.
