The clash comes less than a month after James Altaib Berapai, a member of the SPLM, was appointed and installed as governor of Western Equatoria, replacing Alfred Futuyo.
The post had originally been allocated to the SPLM-IO under the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, and the leadership change has seemingly heightened political and security tensions in the already restive state.
In a statement issued Friday, SPLA-IO Spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel said opposition fighters launched a “sustained attack” on a South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) base at about 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
According to Mr. Lam, SPLA-IO forces seized 13 AK-47 rifles, two PKM machine guns, and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher after overwhelming government troops. He claimed nine SSPDF soldiers, including their commander, were killed, while the SPLA-IO lost one fighter.
“The SPLA-IO would also like to distance itself from the baseless trending propaganda of disarming UNMISS force in Tombura,” Lam said, emphasizing that the opposition movement respects the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the work of humanitarian agencies.
The Tombura incident adds to a growing list of confrontations between the two rival forces. In August, heavy fighting erupted in Longechuk County, Upper Nile State, leaving significant casualties on both sides.
Earlier this year, clashes were also reported in Central Equatoria and Jonglei, pointing to an escalating cycle of localized violence that threatens to unravel the 2018 peace agreement.
Independent verification of casualty figures remains difficult due to restricted access to conflict areas, and government authorities have yet to respond to the SPLA-IO’s latest claims.
Observers warn that the recurrence of clashes in Western Equatoria and Upper Nile underlines the fragility of ceasefire arrangements.
On Thursday, Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), cautioned that South Sudan risks sliding back into full-scale conflict unless peace principals abandon military options in favor of dialogue.
Communities in Tombura have already suffered heavily from recurring violence, with repeated displacement, loss of property, and disruption of livelihoods worsening humanitarian conditions.
Despite assurances of commitment to peace, the renewed battles highlight unresolved tensions within the country’s security arrangements. Regional and international actors, including UNMISS, continue to urge the parties to resolve their disputes through dialogue rather than military confrontation.
