JUBA — South Sudan’s main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) said on Saturday it had captured two villages near the town of Yei, in the latest flare-up of violence following the detention of First Vice President Riek Machar.
SPLA-IO spokesman Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel said in a statement that opposition fighters took control of Lasu and Libogo, about 25 kilometers southwest of Yei town, after clashes with the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF).
“Lasu and Libogo in Yei County have both fallen from the hands of the SSPDF,” Lam said. “Details will follow shortly as the enemy forces are being pursued towards Yei town.”
There was no immediate comment from the SSPDF. Residents in Yei reported hearing gunfire, which caused panic among civilians.
The fighting comes amid a worsening security crisis in South Sudan, which was exacerbated by the detention of Machar in March.
His detention followed clashes between the SSPDF and a youth militia aligned with the SPLA-IO, deepening political uncertainty and raising fears of renewed conflict that would undermine a fragile 2018 peace deal.
Yei, near the borders with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, has long been a flashpoint. The renewed clashes risk further displacement in a region already struggling with insecurity, economic hardship, and limited humanitarian access.
