Source: Amnesty International –
- Ugandan military presence in clear breach of embargo terms
- Satellite images of South Sudanese military helicopters suggest ongoing embargo violations
- Arms embargo, in place since 2018, due to expire on 31 May
The deployment of armed Ugandan soldiers and military equipment to South Sudan since 11 March 2025 flagrantly violates the arms embargo, Amnesty International said today, ahead of this month’s UN Security Council vote on the embargo’s renewal.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), which was sent to South Sudan amid escalating violence in Upper Nile State, has given conflicting accounts of the purpose of its mission. Media reports quote UPDF officials saying that they were deployed at South Sudan’s request to secure the capital Juba and that they are “not there for peacekeeping.” However, the UPDF states on its website that the objective of the deployment is to “maintain peace and security in the country.”
The human rights organization also documented evidence of the ongoing use of attack helicopters by the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), strongly suggesting that the supply of spare parts – an arms embargo violation previously documented by Amnesty International – continues. On 4 May, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that two helicopter gunships bombed their pharmacy in Old Fangak the day before and fired at the town, killing seven and injuring 20 others. A deliberate attack targeting a hospital performing its humanitarian function would violate international humanitarian law and constitute a war crime. Just days later media cite eyewitnesses alleging that SSPDF helicopter gunships killed six civilians in Mayom County, Unity State.
We urge the Security Council to renew the embargo, enforce it and protect civilian lives
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa
“While the UN arms embargo has not been a panacea, the human rights situation would almost certainly be worse without it. Now is not the time to lift the embargo and add more weapons into the fray. We urge the Security Council to renew the embargo, enforce it and protect civilian lives,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa.