The SPLA has rejected a report that some elements of the Ugandan army are still in Juba.

Some UPDF soldiers were deployed in Juba and Bor after the outbreak of the conflict in December 2013.

But the SPLA launched the official withdrawal of these troops in October in line with the peace agreement.

Yesterday, the Centre of Peace and Development Studies at the University of Juba and civil society groups said some Ugandan forces are still in Juba.

They recommended that IGAD should justify why some Ugandan forces are still in the capital Juba, although some of them are in former Western Equatoria State to track the leader of the LRA, Joseph Konyi.

The SPLA director of information and public relations, Malaak Ayuen, says all the Ugandan forces have withdrawn from the country, except those in Western Equatoria State.

“I don’t think there are UPDF in Juba but there are still in South Sudan, because we know they are under an agreement, the one which is actually chasing the LRA, they have their headquarters in South Sudan, and that force is still there in Western Equatoria,” he said.

“So if there are UPDF in South Sudan or in Juba maybe there is part of that force in Western Equatoria, but not that force which was actually brought in to come and fight with the rebels.”

The peace agreement provides that all foreign forces and militias allied to any of the parties should withdraw from South Sudan.

But this does not include forces deployed to monitor the movement of the LRA.