The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) plans to hold series of social, economic and political activities in the cities of Juba and Bor in South Sudan as part of the Tarehe Sita celebrations.
The commander of the UPDF Joint Task Force Col. Muhanga Kayanja says the UPDF started today with the cleaning of the Juba Teaching Hospital and Konyokonyo market, culminating with activities in Bor. However, some eyewitnesses and critics allege that wherever the UPDF passes in South Sudan, the indigenous people there accuse it of joining Kiir’s government in killing people of the Neur tribe. We are yet to confirm this allegation ourselves.
The UPDF went to South Sudan on orders of president Museveni after fighting broke out in Juba on December 15th, 2013 when the rebels (majority of them Neurs) attempted to over throw the government of Museveni’s friend, president Salva Kiir (of Dinka tribe).
Museveni deployed in South Sudan without permission from Uganda Parliament reportedly because the political mistakes Salva Kiir had committed that caused the war in Juba were the same mistakes Museveni’s government has reportedly committed in Kampala for a long time.
For example, Kiir’s government had reportedly sidelined all people not of his tribe from key political posts, killed a number of political opponents, failed to control unemployment, police and the army was full of mostly people of his Dinka tribe, had impeached some of the mayors/governors/ministers/civil servants/ he believed were not royal to him, fired tear-gas on political rallies of his opponents, roads in Juba are full of potholes, too much corruption in South Sudan government, persecution of journalists exposing the wrongs of Kiir’s government, little pay of lower civil servants, imprisonment of political opponents without trial, forging politically motivated arrests and nepotism among others. Had the rebellion in South Sudan progressed, chances were many that it would spark another one in Kampala the way the demonstrations in Algeria sparked violence in Egypt and Libya that led to killing and overthrow of some of the African dictators.
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