Ugandan soldiers have been deployed in South Sudan's capital Juba following a request by the country's government to help secure the city, Uganda's government-owned New Vision newspaper reported Friday.

The paper said the first batch of special forces soldiers had helped to secure the airport and assisted in the evacuation of Ugandan nationals from Juba, the scene of a week of fierce clashes between rival South Sudanese army units.

Ugandan army spokesman Paddy Ankunda confirmed that troops had been sent to Juba, but said they were there to evacuate Ugandan nationals.

"We have sent an evacuation mission into Juba. The first people being evacuated will land in Entebbe in the next hour," he told AFP.

"The Ugandan government was authorised by the South Sudanese government to send in troops to evacuate its nationals," he added.