A coalition of civil society organisations under the banner of the Reclaim Campaign has formally submitted a petition to the International Criminal Court (ICC), requesting a preliminary examination into the conduct of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) during their March 2025 incursion into South Sudan. The petition accuses the UPDF of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of aggression, particularly against the Nuer ethnic population.
The petition, filed with the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, is grounded on provisions that allow the ICC Prosecutor to act on independently submitted information. Should the Prosecutor determine that the evidence meets the threshold, they may seek judicial authorisation to open a full investigation.
According to the submission, the UPDF carried out indiscriminate aerial bombardments, deployed chemical incendiary weapons, and systematically targeted civilian populations in areas inhabited by the Nuer ethnic group. These actions, allegedly coordinated from Kampala and publicly defended by UPDF leadership, are said to have violated key tenets of international humanitarian and criminal law.
The Reclaim Campaign argues that Uganda’s unwillingness to prosecute its own forces for cross-border violations, coupled with credible evidence of ethnic persecution, gives the ICC clear jurisdiction to intervene. The petition also points to statements by Ugandan officials that allegedly reflect genocidal intent, including threats to exterminate the Nuer community and demands for bribes in exchange for halting attacks.
The report contends that Uganda’s military operations were not sanctioned by South Sudan’s Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity, thereby violating the R-ARCSS peace framework and South Sudan’s sovereignty. The coalition claims that this constitutes an act of aggression under Article 8 bis of the Rome Statute.
Further allegations include the UPDF supplying arms to one faction in the conflict, breaching the UN arms embargo, and issuing dehumanising threats that indicate a systematic effort to destroy the Nuer people. Citing Articles 6, 7, and 8 of the Rome Statute, the Reclaim Campaign maintains that the nature and rhetoric of these operations may amount to genocide, and they demand an urgent ICC investigation.
The coalition has called on the ICC to begin a preliminary examination, preserve all related evidence, and engage with victims and witnesses. They stress the need for accountability and justice for thousands of civilians allegedly subjected to atrocities, and they highlight the ICC’s responsibility to act decisively in preventing impunity.
