Uganda has appointed a new commander for its military operations in South Sudan.
Col. Kayanja Muhanga has been named overall commander of UPDF operations in South Sudan.
Up until now Col. Muhanga has been in charge of Military Police.
Ugandan army spokesperson, Lt. Col Paddy Ankunda confirmed the appointment and went on to add that Uganda was in the process of signing the Status of Force Agreement (SFA) with the government of South Sudan so as to officially define UPDF operations in the country.
Whist the UPDF has so far maintained that its soldiers are only deployed inside South Sudan to protect Ugandan civilians, multiple witnesses have confirmed that its troops are deployed in active combat operations across the country.
On Friday, members of the United Nations Security Council warned against external involvement in South Sudan’s conflict and expressed fears of possible escalation.