President Yoweri Museveni and his South Sudan counterpart, President Salva Kiir, have extensively discussed the current escalating situation in the Juba capital.

Museveni, who arrived in Juba on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, on a working visit to Juba, South Sudan, commenced his trip with a tête-à-tête meeting with his host, Salva Kiir.

The two leaders later engaged in bilateral talks addressing topics of peace and security, as well as socio-economic issues and the political landscape.

During the meeting held in the capital, Juba, the leaders discussed the current security situation in South Sudan.

President Museveni was also briefed on the status of the implementation of the peace agreement. The government of South Sudan assured the president and his delegation of its commitment to implementing the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.

On economic matters, they agreed to harmonize trade policies, particularly regarding non-tariff barriers and the taxation of small commodities traded across the border between the two nations.

John Mulimba, Uganda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Affairs, stated that they held discussions on issues of commerce and trade, including social and economic matters.

“We had a cordial meeting touching on issues between our two governments that are of mutual benefit. We also touched on the topic of peace and security in the region,” said Mulimba.

The meeting was attended by the 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Hon. Rebecca Kadaga; the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Jacob Oboth Oboth; and several South Sudanese government ministers.

A power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and first vice president Riek Machar has been threatened in recent weeks by clashes between their allied forces in the northeastern Upper Nile state.

South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, ended a five-year civil war in 2018 with a power-sharing agreement between Kiir and Machar.

President Kiir’s allies have accused Machar’s forces of fomenting unrest in Nasir County, in league with the White Army, a loose band of armed youths in the region from the same ethnic Nuer community as the vice president.

The White Army fought alongside Machar’s forces in the 2013-18 civil war that pitted them against predominantly ethnic Dinka troops loyal to Kiir.