The raid, carried out on Wednesday, September 25, reportedly left five NSS personnel dead and nine others injured. The attack was claimed by SPLA-IO spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel, who said it was in retaliation for alleged abuses committed by state security forces.
Lam accused the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), the NSS, and other organized forces of looting property, abducting children, and harassing civilians in Eastern Equatoria without facing accountability. He further alleged that the state government has been bribing youth to act as informants, warning civilians to avoid being used as shields and to stay away from military installations and convoys.
In a press statement released Friday, Karlo Andrew Akwo, the SPLM-IO Secretary for Information and Communication in Eastern Equatoria under Par’s faction, denounced the assault as the work of “anti-peace elements” aligned with Oyet Nathaniel, who is leading the faction loyal to the suspended and detained First Vice President Riek Machar.
“We condemn in the strongest terms possible the incident that happened in Kapoeta South County on 25 September 2025,” Akwo declared in a statement dated 26th September 2025.
“Those who committed this barbaric attack belong to the SPLM-IO under the leadership of Oyet Nathaniel, who declared that the Peace Agreement is dead and called on his members to withdraw from the government. We want to make it clear that we are not part and parcel of them,” he reiterated.
The Par-led SPLM-IO faction emphasized that it remains committed to the implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, a pact seen as a cornerstone for peace and stability in South Sudan after years of conflict.
Akwo said the agreement provides the framework for national elections scheduled for December 2026 and reaffirmed his faction’s cooperation with all peace partners in the transitional period.
The statement also applauded Eastern Equatoria State Governor Louis Lobong Lojore for what it called “remarkable leadership” in maintaining stability.
“EES is one of the most peaceful states in South Sudan because of the Governor’s tireless efforts,” Akwo noted. “Currently, the only enemies we face are hunger and illiteracy, which require a collective response from all the sons and daughters of this state.”
The attack and subsequent condemnation highlight growing divisions within the SPLM-IO, which has splintered into rival factions since the outbreak of the civil war and the signing of multiple peace agreements.
