The confrontation happened at the Star Hotel near the Bor Bus Park, leaving at least seven others wounded and forcing traders and residents to flee the busy commercial area. Authorities say the Red Belt deputy chairperson, Thon Kuany Agut-Machar, was among those killed alongside the NSS operative.
Bor County Commissioner Samuel Ateny Pech said the gunfight briefly paralysed movement and business activities before security forces regained control of the situation. “The wounded are seven—two from the security forces and five civilians who were eating in the same hotel where the Red Belt members were present,” Pech stated.
According to the Commissioner, four of the injured civilians have been evacuated to Juba for advanced treatment. Two wounded security officers are currently receiving medical attention at the UNMISS clinic in Bor, while another civilian is admitted at Bor Civil Hospital.
Authorities say several suspects have been detained in relation to the incident, and investigations are ongoing. Officials have not disclosed what triggered the clash, although tensions between security forces and the armed youth group have reportedly increased in recent months.
Commissioner Pech said calm has since returned to the town, and security patrols have been intensified. “The situation is calm and under control. There is no reported existence of Red Belt members in town,” he assured.
The Red Belt is an armed youth group that emerged in recent years, presenting itself as a community defence force tasked with protecting villages and cattle from raids carried out by rival communities. Its leaders say the name symbolises a protective belt around Bor communities, which, according to them, have suffered insecurity for years.
However, authorities regard the group as a rebel movement operating outside state control. The latest incident has renewed concerns about the growing number of armed youth groups in Jonglei and across South Sudan, where recurring communal violence continues to complicate efforts to stabilise local security ahead of expected national elections.
The deaths of the NSS officer and the Red Belt leader mark one of the most serious confrontations between government forces and the movement in recent months, raising questions about the government’s strategy toward emerging armed groups in the region.
