The UN inquiry reported that joint aerial bombardments by South Sudanese and Ugandan forces struck populated areas in opposition-controlled territories, particularly communities associated with the Nuer ethnic group. Investigators cited witness accounts describing aircraft dropping improvised incendiary devices that ignited homes in Wunaliet, a settlement roughly 15 kilometers from the capital.

Uganda’s defence ministry dismissed the report as incomplete and defended the role of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in South Sudan. In a statement, officials said Ugandan troops were deployed to prevent escalation of violence and protect civilians during ongoing clashes between government forces and armed opposition groups.

"UPDF has never targeted civilians in its 45-year cherished history,” the ministry said, adding that its mission in South Sudan is conducted under a bilateral security arrangement with the government of President Salva Kiir.

South Sudan’s government has relied on regional military assistance as it confronts forces loyal to opposition figure Riek Machar, the former vice president who was suspended last year and later faced criminal charges including treason. Fighting has intensified in several areas viewed as Machar strongholds, where government forces have attempted to dislodge opposition fighters.

Residents interviewed by UN investigators described scenes of panic during the March 2025 attack in Wunaliet. One survivor said flames spread quickly across residential compounds after objects dropped from aircraft burst into fire. "People were running in every direction as houses caught fire,” the witness told the commission, recalling how families fled toward nearby bushland during the night.

The report also referenced a social media post by Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s top military commander, who wrote that Ugandan forces had bombed opposition fighters. The message, accompanied by video showing explosions filmed from an aircraft, was later removed from the platform.

UN investigators said they could not determine the exact number of operations involving Uganda but concluded that available evidence suggested "high degrees of planning, operational integration and command-level authorization” between the two militaries.

Regional analysts say the allegations could increase scrutiny of foreign military involvement in South Sudan, where a fragile peace agreement signed in 2018 remains under strain. Renewed fighting in opposition-held areas has displaced civilians and raised concerns among humanitarian groups about the risks posed by aerial bombardments in densely populated communities.