Tensions in South Sudan have flared again after opposition forces accused government troops of launching an attack on one of their military positions near the capital, Juba, deepening fears over the collapse of the fragile 2018 power-sharing agreement.
According to a statement by Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel, South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) launched a coordinated assault on Tuesday morning against the opposition-held Panyume cantonment site in Central Equatoria State. The area has been divided between government and opposition control since the peace deal was signed.
Gabriel claimed that opposition forces repelled the attack, inflicting “heavy casualties” on the government side. He also alleged that the ground assault was followed by an aerial bombardment that destroyed civilian homes and public infrastructure in Panyume.
The SPLA-IO warned civilians in four counties to evacuate immediately, warning that further military operations by government forces were likely. “This aggression is aimed at turning the affected counties into a war zone,” Gabriel stated.
The South Sudanese military has not yet issued a statement in response to the allegations.
The 2018 peace agreement ended a brutal five-year civil war that claimed an estimated 400,000 lives and brought President Salva Kiir and his rival, Vice-President Riek Machar, into a unity government. However, tensions have resurfaced in recent months, particularly after Machar was placed under house arrest, signaling a deterioration in the already strained partnership.
In a separate directive, SPLA-IO military commander Lt. Gen. Peter Thok Chuol ordered all opposition units to remain on high alert and prepare to defend their positions and protect civilians.
The latest hostilities raise renewed concerns about the potential collapse of the peace deal and a return to widespread conflict in the world’s youngest nation.