By Deng Ghai Deng
A member of parliament has accused a faction of security officials within President Salva Kiir’s office of compromising national security by allowing foreign military forces to operate unchecked within South Sudan.
During a tense parliamentary session on Monday, Bol Joseph Agau, who represents Lakes State in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), denounced what he described as ‘cartels’ within the presidential security apparatus for facilitating a dangerous escalation of foreign military presence.
Agau raised a point of information, revealing that the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) has encroached upon and taken control of over 200 areas, including Kajo Keji and Magwi Counties in Eastern and Central Equatoria states. He charged that these incursions not only displace local communities but also represent a severe violation of South Sudan’s sovereignty.
“As we speak, over 200 areas are occupied by Ugandans. Magwi County is under the control of Uganda’s armed forces. The UPDF is now operating in Raja County, Wau, and conniving with security apparatus which are cartels within the office of the President,” Agau said.
Agau’s concerns come in the wake of reports from Pogee indicating that UPDF forces have increasingly occupied South Sudanese land, displacing local residents and establishing multiple new settlements and barracks.
This expansion reportedly includes over eight new military posts along the border.
The lawmaker has called for an urgent parliamentary review of the situation, demanding that relevant institutions be summoned to explain their inaction.
“If the country is surrendered to the Ugandan government, let this parliament be dissolved so that we become citizens of the Republic of Uganda,” Agau declared, emphasizing the need for immediate action to address what he views as a critical issue of national security.
In response, Rt. Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba, the Speaker of Parliament directed that the issue be presented as a formal motion for debate.
“These are some sensitive issues and should be put in motion form. If you want some relevant authorities to be here to answer, then it has to be presented as a motion. If itis already submitted, then it will go through the due process, then will come to the House,” Kumba said.
The South Sudanese government has yet to issue a formal response to these serious accusations, a silence that some analysts interpret as indicative of internal struggles.
Dr. Abraham Kuol Nyuon, a political scientist and Principal of Graduates College at the University of Juba, suggested that the government’s inaction might be attributed to a combination of internal conflicts, ethnic tensions, and economic difficulties that have weakened the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF).
Dr. Nyuon also speculated that South Sudan’s economic dependency on Uganda, a crucial trade route and economic partner, could be influencing the government’s reluctance to confront the encroachment more forcefully.
For his part, SSPDF spokesperson Maj Gen Lul Ruai Koang confirmed awareness of the encroachments, acknowledging that the issue is significant and requires a political resolution.