JUBA – Clashes broke out near South Sudan’s capital, Juba, early Wednesday, as the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) accused the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) of attacking a training center.
Residents south of Juba reported hearing gunfire from Rejaf, about 10 kilometers from the capital, early in the morning.
The SPLA-IO, led by First Vice President Riek Machar Teny, issued a statement accusing the SSPDF of launching repeated attacks on its training and cantonment sites, including one in Rejaf on Wednesday morning.
“Yesterday at about 1500 hours, the SSPDF attacked Rambur training center in Juba, leading to its closure. Furthermore, this same violent act happened this morning at about 0400 hours when the forces of the SSPDF also attacked Rejaf training center,” SPLA-IO spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel said in a statement.
Gabriel condemned the attacks as “terrorism” and called for international intervention, warning that the group reserved the right to self-defense. He did not clarify whether the SPLA-IO had been dislodged or if the attacks were repelled.
Civil society watchdog Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) also condemned the violence, calling the renewed clashes a “clear declaration of the country’s return to war.”
“Our leaders are not honest and sincere to the citizens on matters of peace and security,” CEPO Executive Director Edmund Yakani said in a statement. “How many people do our leaders want to see dead before they realize it is time to de-escalate the violence and resolve their political differences through dialogue?”
CEPO called on President Salva Kiir and Vice President Machar to immediately de-escalate tensions and urged the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which mediated the 2018 peace agreement, to intervene.
The clashes come amid escalating tensions between the SSPDF and SPLA-IO, signatories to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement aimed at ending years of civil war. While both sides participate in South Sudan’s transitional government, relations remain strained.
The SPLA-IO has previously criticized the deployment of Ugandan troops to South Sudan, arguing it violates the terms of the peace agreement. The SSPDF has not commented on the allegations.
