NAIROBI, May 14, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Amnesty International urged the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday to enforce a renewed arms embargo on South Sudan, alleging the recent presence of Ugandan troops was "in clear breach" of the order.

South Sudan has long grappled with insecurity and political instability, and renewed tensions between President Salva Kiir and his rival, Vice-President Riek Machar, have spilt over into clashes between their forces.

Fighting in Upper Nile State earlier this year drew international concern, and led to the deployment of the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) in March.

At the time, the Ugandan parliament said the deployment was at Kiir's request "to avert a potential security catastrophe".

However, Amnesty said verified videos of the arrival of troops in the capital Juba, as well as "armoured personnel carriers and military trucks... carrying tanks" on March 17 "violates" the terms of the embargo.

The embargo, which is due to expire on May 31, has been in place since 2018 when a peace deal ended a five-year civil war between Kiir and Machar.

While it does have some exemptions, Amnesty said neither the South Sudanese nor Ugandan authorities notified the UN Security Council.

"While the UN arms embargo has not been a panacea, the human rights situation would almost certainly be worse without it," said Amnesty's Tigere Chagutah, regional director for East and Southern Africa.

"Now is not the time to lift the embargo and add more weapons into the fray," he said, urging the Security Council to renew it.

"Enforce it and protect civilian lives," he added.

Amnesty said the South Sudan People's Defence Forces' ongoing use of attack helicopters -- which in 2020 were "non-functioning and grounded" -- strongly suggests the embargo on spare parts was broken.

Doctors Without Borders said one of its hospitals was attacked in May by a helicopter gunship, killing seven.

AFP contacted the UPDF for comment, but there was not yet a response at the time of publication.