President Museveni is expected to travel to South Sudan tomorrow for a crucial meeting with President Salva Kiir, amid escalating political and security tensions in the country.

While the State House remains tight-lipped about the details of the visit, reliable sources confirm that the Ugandan leader will be in Juba on Friday.

Separately, the presidential press secretary Sandor Walusimbi confirmed to the Nile Post that the head of state had left for the restive youngest nation in the world.

Museveni’s visit comes at a time when South Sudan is facing severe turmoil due to internal conflicts within Kiir’s government.

President Kiir has recently fallen out with his First Vice President Riek Machar, leading to the latter and his wife Angelina Teny being placed under house arrest.

The deepening crisis threatens to unravel the fragile peace agreement that ended the country’s bloody civil war (2013-2018), during which Kiir’s forces, predominantly ethnic Dinka, clashed with Machar’s largely Nuer forces.

President Museveni’s visit is expected to focus on de-escalating tensions and seeking a resolution to the current political impasse.

Our sources revealed that Museveni will push for a renewed dialogue between Kiir and Machar, as well as address concerns over Uganda’s military presence in South Sudan.

However, given the deep-seated animosity between the two leaders, it remains uncertain whether Museveni’s intervention will yield any meaningful progress

Last week, Raila Odinga, the African Union’s High Representative for Infrastructure Development who doubles as Kenyan President William Ruto’s Special Envoy for South Sudan, visited Juba in an attempt to mediate between Kiir and Machar.

However, his efforts failed after he was denied a meeting with Machar. Odinga would travel back home via Entebbe for a meeting with Museveni.

He claimed that he had been asked by the Kiir government to seek permission from Museveni if he was to meet Machar, an allegation the South Sudan presidency has since strongly disputed.

The fallout between Kiir and Machar has been exacerbated by disputes over the peace implementation process, security force control, and the allocation of government positions.

Tensions escalated further last month when Uganda deployed its elite forces into South Sudan, a move that sparked criticism from Machar and his allies.

Machar has accused Uganda of violating international agreements by deploying troops and launching airstrikes against civilian targets in Upper Nile and Jonglei states.

In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Machar called for the immediate withdrawal of Ugandan forces, arguing that their presence undermines South Sudan’s transition to democracy and threatens to reignite conflict.

In early March, Kiir ordered the arrest of several senior officials linked to Machar, including Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol and Deputy Army Chief Gabriel Doup Lam. Other military officials allied with Machar have been placed under house arrest.

The crackdown followed violent clashes in Nasir, a strategic northern town, where government forces battled the White Army militia—an armed Nuer group that fought alongside Machar’s forces during the civil war.

Tensions further escalated on March 7, when an attack on a military base in Nasir County resulted in the death of General Majur Dak Thel and several officers. President Kiir blamed Machar’s forces for the attack, further deepening the rift.

The situation worsened when Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, confirmed the deployment of Ugandan commandos into South Sudan under the operation code-named ‘Mlinzi wa Kimya.’

In a social media post, Gen. Muhoozi praised the Ugandan Air Force for striking enemy positions, confirming Uganda’s active military engagement in South Sudan.

Machar has urged the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the United Nations Security Council to intervene and pressure Uganda to withdraw its troops.

He argues that Uganda’s military presence violates UN Security Council Resolution 2428 (2018), which imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan and was recently extended by Resolution 2731 (2024).

The government, however, has historically defended its military interventions in South Sudan as necessary to maintain regional stability.

Uganda played a key role in supporting Kiir’s government during the 2013-2018 civil war, deploying troops to prevent the capital, Juba, from falling to Machar’s forces.

As the situation in South Sudan continues to deteriorate, the outcome of Museveni’s visit could have significant implications for the region’s stability.

The international community will be closely watching the developments in Juba, hoping for a peaceful resolution to prevent another outbreak of violence in Africa’s youngest nation.