SPLA-IO Accused of Detaining Civilian Boats, Demanding $4,000 Along Sobat River ‎

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‎ Boat ferrying civilians  Nasir, Upper Nile State  ‎Authorities in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, have accused forces loyal to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army In Opposition (SPLA-IO) of detaining civilian riverboats and demanding ransom-like payments of up to $4,000 from traders and passengers along the Sobat River. ‎ ‎According to Nasir County Commissioner James Gatwech Joak, several boats traveling from Matar in Nasir County to Malakal were intercepted by SPLA-IO soldiers in Yakuach, an area in Nyirol County, Jonglei State. ‎ ‎“Our traders paid local taxes to SPLA-IO in Mandeng before setting off. But on reaching Yakuach, they were detained again and told to pay an additional four thousand U.S. dollars,” Commissioner Gatwech said. ‎ ‎He explained that the detained boat operators and traders were reportedly held for four days while armed men demanded more payments.  ‎ Some of the passengers were women, children, and patients traveling for medical treatment in Malaka...

Breaking News: New CDF Orders Jonglei’s Red Belt Vigilante Group to Join SSPDF and SPLA-IO to Join Nearest SSPDF Barracks ‎

 

New CDF Gen. Paul Nang Majok


‎The new Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), Gen. Dr. Paul Nang Majok, has issued a directive ordering members of the Red Belt Movement, a Jonglei-based vigilante group, to officially integrate into the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF).


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‎According to an official statement released by the Office of the SSPDF Spokesperson on October 12, 2025, all Red Belt members are required to report to Malual-Chat Barracks with their personal and support weapons for registration and absorption into the national army.

‎The directive, signed by Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, SSPDF Spokesperson, states that those who decline the “golden opportunity and honor to serve” will face forceful disarmament.


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“A committee will be formed and sent to Malual-Chat Barracks to receive members of the Red Belt Movement joining the army. 

Members declining this golden opportunity and honor to serve will face forceful disarmament at the earliest time possible,” the statement reads.

‎The CDF further instructed armed youth in Greater Warrap State to voluntarily surrender their weapons within 21 days, warning that failure to comply will lead to a comprehensive forceful disarmament exercise.


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Additionally, the statement directed SPLA-IO members to report to the nearest SSPDF barracks in preparation for the second phase of the implementation of transitional security arrangements. 

Those who refuse to comply will be treated as hostile forces and face “the full force of the national army.”

‎The latest directive comes just days after President Salva Kiir reappointed Gen. Paul Nang Majok as the new Chief of Defense Forces, signaling a renewed push to unify armed groups and stabilize volatile regions such as Jonglei, Warrap, and Upper Nile.


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Observers say the move aims to accelerate security sector reforms and reduce local militias’ influence, which has been blamed for recurring violence and insecurity in parts of the country.

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