South Sudan accuses Raila of misrepresentation over Museveni visit

The South Sudan government has now refuted claims it instructed former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to meet Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni after being denied opportunity to meet First Vice President Riek Machar, who was under house arrest.

In a press briefing held on Monday 31, 2025, the South Sudan Presidential Press Secretary David Amuor Majur accused Raila of distorting certain facts following his recent trip to Juba.

Raila had been deployed to the capital following appointment by President William Ruto as Special Envoy to Africa's newest nation.

Majur emphasized that Odinga's trip to Uganda was pre-arranged and not recommended by President Salva Kiir’s administration, contrary to what Odinga suggested during his interview upon returning to Nairobi.

"The claim that His Excellency General Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan, instructed the Right Honourable Raila Odinga to meet with the President of Uganda misrepresents diplomatic norms and principles," said Majur.

"It is important to note that the Right Honourable Odinga's mission to Uganda was pre-arranged and did not come directly from the government of South Sudan."

The South Sudanese government also refuted allegations that Interior Minister Angelina Teny was under house arrest.

The latest development comes just hours after African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson Mahmoud Youssouf Ali pledged to deploy a high-level panel to help de-escalate the situation.

In a statement on the African Union account on X, Mahmoud said he engaged in direct talks with President Salva Kiir and addressed the evolving political situation in the country.

"To enhance mediation efforts and support the full implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), the chairperson is dispatching a high-level delegation of the AU Panel of the Wise to Juba to engage with all the stakeholders to de-escalate tensions and promote dialogue," read the statement.

The AU called on all parties to uphold all the provisions of R-ARCSS and ensure its full implementation.

However, the AUC boss did not immediately disclose the individuals selected to facilitate the peace negotiations.

"The AU remains actively engaged with regional and international partners, including IGAD, the EAC, and the United Nations, to support South Sudan’s transition to durable peace and democracy," said the statement.

South Sudan fell into a bloody civil war soon after gaining independence in 2011, as forces aligned with Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, fought those loyal to Machar, an ethnic Nuer.

The conflict killed more than 40,000 people before a 2018 peace deal saw the pair form a government of national unity.