SPLA-IO Accused of Detaining Civilian Boats, Demanding $4,000 Along Sobat River
Opposition forces in South Sudan have claimed responsibility for seizing a government army garrison in Mundri East County, Western Equatoria State, following heavy fighting earlier this week.
In a joint statement, fighters from the National Salvation Front (NAS) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) said they launched a dawn attack on the Kadi’ba garrison, killing at least 13 soldiers of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF).
The groups further claimed they captured several weapons, ammunition, and an armored personnel carrier (APC).
Video footage released by the opposition appears to show jubilant fighters standing near the seized APC and weapons.
The NAS–SPLA-IO alliance said the operation was carried out in retaliation to what they described as “continuous incursions, harassment, and looting of civilians” by government troops in the area.
Local officials have confirmed that clashes did occur but could not verify the opposition’s version of events.
Mundri East County Commissioner John Henry Ngalamu told the media that the situation remained tense, and a fact-finding mission had been dispatched to assess the impact.
Western Equatoria State Police Commissioner Philip Madut Tong also called for investigations into the incident.
Attempts to reach SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang for comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
The attack comes at a politically sensitive moment, with SPLA-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar currently on trial for treason in Juba alongside seven senior officials.
The NAS, led by Gen. Thomas Cirillo, has never signed the 2018 peace agreement, while Machar’s SPLA-IO is officially part of the unity government but has recently shown signs of internal rifts.
The reported capture of the garrison raises concerns of renewed instability in Western Equatoria, an area that has experienced repeated clashes between government forces and holdout opposition groups.
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