“We saved the UN camp from being overrun”

The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) entered South Sudan in December 2013, to help contain the violence that erupted between government forces and forces loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar.

The UPDF was invited by President Salva Kiir to help the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army (SPLA), South Sudan’s national army, to maintain strategic institutions against the rebels.  

Ugandan troops were initially deployed at the Juba airport, presidential and ministerial residences, but later involved in active fighting.

Some western countries and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have called on the UPDF to withdraw. However, the UPDF spokesman says they will only leave when the country is in peace.

Marvis Birungi met with the UPDF spokesman Paddy Ankunda in Kampala: