The Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) has dismissed claims circulating on social media as false, accusing the Ugandan Air Airforce of deploying chemical and barrel weapons against rebel White Army positions in South Sudan’s Upper Nile and Jonglei states.
UPDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Chris Magezi stated on Friday, March 28, 2025, said that the UPDF neither possesses chemical weapons and barrel bombs nor does it operate systems designed to deliver them.
Brig Gen Magezi emphasized that the UPDF does not target civilians or civilian objects.
“Great care is always taken to avoid this. The UPDF, using its proven precision strike capabilities, endeavors to isolate and destroy only military targets,” he noted.
Magezi attributed the spread of these allegations to “AI-generated propaganda schemes” allegedly orchestrated by South Sudan’s First Vice President Dr Riek Machar and his allies.
The statement follows the Ugandan government’s approval of Shs 39.1 billion in additional funding to support the UPDF’s newly launched peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.
“The UPDF will strive to continue strengthening Uganda’s longstanding unity with the people of South Sudan, facilitate unhindered growth of trade opportunities, and reinforce sustainable peace and security initiatives for the region,” Magezi stated.
Meanwhile, tensions in South Sudan have heightened following the house arrest of Dr Riek Machar by forces loyal to President Salva Kiir.
The SPLM-IO party condemned the move, arguing it undermines the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement (R-ARCSS). The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has also warned that unilateral actions risk reigniting civil war in the fragile nation.
