Armed and insecure

military relations, the nations also have an ongoing boundary dispute. 316 At
another point on the border, in Amuru District, Ugandan police strengthened
security in early May 2016 to “prevent the continued entry of illegal guns”, as
local forces had recently apprehended multiple guns “believed to have been
stolen from South Sudan and sold to thugs in Uganda”. 317 In October 2015,
Uganda announced it would withdraw its troops from South Sudan before the
end of the month, as demanded during the South Sudan peace negotiations
in Addis Ababa, making way for a regional presence, the IGAD Protection and
Deterrent Force. 318 The last UPDF battalion reportedly left South Sudan on 30
October. 319
Furthermore, Uganda—a signatory of the CCM—has been implicated in the
use of internationally banned cluster bombs in its participation in the South
Sudan conflict. 320 In May 2014, the UNSC adopted Resolution 2155, noting
“with serious concern reports of the indiscriminate use of cluster munitions”
and urging “all parties to refrain from similar such use in the future”. 321 By July
2015, “at least 29 countries had expressed concern at or condemned cluster
munition use in South Sudan”. 322 Though Uganda has denied the reports of
its use as “rubbish”, the evidence appears overwhelming. 323 UN “mine action
experts found the remnants of at least eight RBK-250-275 cluster bombs and
an unknown quantity of intact AO-1SCh sub-munitions” that had been used
between mid-December 2013 and February 2014 “outside of Bor, the capital
of Jonglei State, during conflict [...] with air support for the SPLA provided
by Uganda”. 324 The only belligerent with possible holdings and capacity,
Uganda has never properly explained this troublesome part of its complicated
friendship with its northern neighbour. 325
316 Daily Monitor, ‘UPDF flushes out S.Sudanese soldiers’, August 2015, www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/UPDF-flushes-out-South-Sudanesesoldiers/-/688334/2821160/-/sgyhokz/-/index.html.
317 The Monitor, ‘East Africa: Police Tighten Security At Uganda - South Sudan Border’, May 2016, http://allafrica.com/stories/201605020791.html.
318 IRIN News, ‘Should Uganda withdraw from South Sudan?’, June 2014, www.irinnews.org/report/100285/analysis-should-uganda-withdraw-south-sudan
; VOA News, ‘Uganda Begins Troop Withdrawal from South Sudan’, October 2015, www.voanews.com/content/uganda-begins-troop-withdrawal-from-southsudan/3018884.html.
319 Daily Monitor, ‘Uganda: Last UPDF Battalion Leaves South Sudan’, November 2015, http://allafrica.com/stories/201511021771.html.
320 Daily Monitor, ‘UPDF used cluster bombs in South Sudan, says UN report’, May 2014, http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/UPDF-used-cluster-bombsin-South-Sudan--says-UN-report/-/688334/2311330/-/f09xjxz/-/index.html.
321 ‘Security Council, Adopting Resolution 2155 (2014), Extends Mandate of Mission in South Sudan, Bolstering Its Strength to Quell Surging Violence’, May
2014, http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11414.doc.htm.
322 Landmine and Cluster Munitions Monitor, ‘Uganda: Cluster Munition Ban Policy‘, July 2015, www.the-monitor.org/en-gb/reports/2016/uganda/clustermunition-ban-policy.aspx.
323 Daily Monitor, ‘UPDF used cluster bombs in South Sudan, says UN report’, May 2014, www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/UPDF-used-cluster-bombs-in-
South-Sudan--says-UN-report/-/688334/2311330/-/f09xjxz/-/index.html.
324 Landmine and Cluster Munitions Monitor, ‘Uganda, Cluster Munitions Ban Policy’, www.the-monitor.org/en-gb/reports/2016/uganda/cluster-munition-ban-policy.aspx.
325 HRW, ‘South Sudan: Investigate New Cluster Bomb Use‘, February 2014, www.hrw.org/news/2014/02/14/south-sudan-investigate-new-cluster-bomb-use.
PAX ! Armed and insecure
77