Rebel group issues nationwide warning to armed civilians

JUBA — A South Sudanese opposition armed group on Thursday issued a nationwide warning to armed civilians to disengage from ongoing fighting, saying military operations should be left to organized forces and must not be tribalized, amid growing reports of civilian participation in clashes in parts of the country.

In a statement on Thursday, the South Sudan People’s Movement/Army (SSPM/A) said armed civilians in Equatoria, Upper Nile and Bahr el Ghazal regions who may be affiliated with either government or opposition forces should immediately withdraw from current operations.

“The SSPM/A leadership warns all armed Civilians in Equatoria, Upper Nile and Bhar El Ghazal regions who may be affiliated with either the Government or Opposition forces to disengage from the current operations across the country,” the group said in the statement, signed by its leader, Stephen Buay Rolnyang.

“These operations are strictly between the opposition armed forces and regime forces, and there is no justification for armed civilians to participate,” it added.

The statement comes after reports that armed civilians and youth took part in fighting in Unity State, particularly in Rubkona County, following recent clashes between government forces and opposition fighters at Kaljak, northwest of the state capital Bentiu.

Civilian involvement has raised concerns among civil society group and analysts about the risk of wider mobilization and attacks on non-combatants.

The SSPM/A said civilians who wished to participate in the fighting should formally enlist with either the opposition forces or the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), rather than engage as irregular armed actors.

“These operations are not tribal in nature. They represent a campaign by opposition forces against the regime, with the objective of fundamental regime change to foster a people-centered transition in South Sudan,” the statement said.

“The campaign should target military objectives and must not target any specific ethnic groups,” it added.

It added that military actions should focus strictly on military objectives and must not target any ethnic group.

The group also urged supporters on both sides of the conflict to refrain from promoting tribalism or framing the fighting along ethnic lines, warning that such narratives could fuel wider violence and undermine civilian protection.

General Buay, who hails from Mayom County in Unity State, is a former senior commander in the national army and is widely regarded as a highly respected military officer across different segments of South Sudanese society.

Analysts say he is known for his role in shaping South Sudan’s military service during the early years of the country’s armed forces, giving him influence beyond his home region of Unity.

He was stripped of his rank and dismissed from active service in 2019 over allegations that he had aligned himself with opposition forces, before later emerging as the leader of the SSPM/A, which maintains a presence mainly in northern Unity State.