Local officials said the group appears to be gathering in the bushlands separating South Sudan and Sudan, raising concerns about renewed insecurity in the frontier area.
Majok-Yithiou Mayor Akok Lual said unconfirmed intelligence indicates armed men are regrouping at multiple points along the border with Sudan.
“Forces are reported to be grouping at Yoot area towards Abyei, and they are said to number around 130. Other groups are reported to be camping in the bushes at Warguet, estimated at 150 or more,” Lual told Sudans Post.
He said the fighters are believed to include loyalists of General Paul Malong Awan, South Sudan’s former army chief turned rebel leader, and possibly deserters from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) who left unified forces after clashes last week in the Abyei Administrative Area’s Athoony region.
“These forces are being said to belong to SSUF and are commanded by Malang Kharbino Kuanyin in Yoot,” he said on son of SPLA freedom fighter Kerbino Kuanyin Bol. “The other group is reportedly under Deng Deng Liel in the bushes near Warguet,” he added.
Lual said military intelligence officers had been dispatched to verify the reports but that the situation remains unclear.
“Some people told our intelligence that these forces include mercenaries who fought in Sudan’s RSF war, but that has not been verified,” he said.
Majok-Yithiou, which directly borders Meiram Locality in Sudan’s West Kordofan State, has become increasingly volatile since last year. A Sudanese army brigade, dislodged from Meiram’s 92nd Brigade of the 22nd Infantry Division, crossed into South Sudan and was temporarily based in the area.
The presence of those Sudanese troops highlighted the fragile nature of the border and the risk of Sudan’s conflict spilling into South Sudanese territory.
Local officials view the latest reports of rebel mobilization as part of that broader conflict spillover, as fighters displaced from Sudan’s war zone move southward seeking sanctuary, alliances, or new battlegrounds.
The tension follows fighting last week between elements of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and suspected fighters aligned with Malong’s movement, which are said to be based inside the Sudanese border.
Similar reports of insurgent regrouping also surfaced last month in Aweil Center County, though authorities downplayed those claims.
Lual said anxiety remains high in Majok-Yithiou after the Athoony clashes, especially as the whereabouts of the SPLM-IO fighters who deserted the barracks are still unknown.
“Panic is strong in the border town, and we are urging residents to stay vigilant while security organs continue to assess the situation,” he said.