JUBA – Clashes erupted near South Sudan’s capital Juba on Wednesday morning, as the main opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) accused the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) of attacking a training center.
Residents in areas south of Juba reported hearing gunfire emanating from the direction of Rejaf, approximately 10 kilometers from the capital, early Wednesday morning.
The SPLA-IO, led by First Vice President Riek Machar Teny, issued a statement accusing the SSPDF of launching attacks, in recent days, on its training and cantonment sites including one in Rejaf this morning.
“Yesterday at about 1500 hours, the SSPDF attacked Rambur training center in Juba leading to its closure. Furthermore, this same violent act happened this morning at about 0400 hours when the forces of the SSPDF also attacked Rejaf training center,” said SPLA-IO spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel in a statement seen by Sudans Post.
Gabriel condemned the attacks as “terrorism” and called for international intervention, warning that his group reserved the right to self-defense. He did not specify whether the SPLA-IO had been dislodged or if the attack had been repulsed.
In a statement, civil society watchdog Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) condemned the violence, warning that the renewed clashes between the SSPDF and the SPLA-IO signaled a “clear declaration of the country’s return to war.”
“Our leaders are not honest and sincere to the citizens on matters of peace and security,” Edmund Yakani, CEPO’s executive Director said in the statement extended to Sudans Post following the fighting.
“How many people do our leaders want to see dead, then they will get convinced that it is time to de-escalate the violence and resolve their political differences through dialogue?” the activist added.
CEPO called on President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar to immediately de-escalate the violence and urged the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the regional block which mediated the revitalized peace agreement, to intervene.
The fighting comes amid escalating tensions between the SSPDF and the SPLA-IO, both signatories to a 2018 revitalized peace agreement intended to end years of civil war. Despite their participation in the transitional government, relations between the two sides remain strained.
The SPLA-IO has previously criticized the deployment of Ugandan troops to South Sudan, arguing it violates the terms of the peace agreement. The SSPDF did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
