SPLA-IO forces loyal to Riek Machar have captured a key military garrison in Uror County, officials and residents said Friday, marking a significant shift in territorial control as fighting intensifies.
The fall of Yuai, the headquarters of Uror County in Jonglei State, follows days of escalating violence. The base was the last major stronghold for the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) in the Lou Nuer heartland following the recent loss of nearby Waat.
Lt. Col. Khor Nyang Mabor, a spokesperson for the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) in Jonglei, told Radio Tamazuj that the town of Yuai fell Friday morning after several hours of heavy combat.
“Our forces were attacked by the SSPDF while moving between Pathai and Pabuong,” Col. Mabor said, claiming the counter-offensive began at 3 a.m. and resulted in the total capture of the town by daybreak.
While total casualty figures remain unverified, Mabor confirmed that nine SPLA-IO soldiers were being evacuated to a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) facility in Lankien with gunshot wounds. He claimed the SPLA-IO and allied White Army fighters were currently pursuing retreating SSPDF soldiers.
He added that Peter Dak Wichluoth, who was appointed by SPLM-IO acting chairperson Oyet Nathaniel, has been installed as the commissioner of Uror and will be officially sworn in.
Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, the spokesperson for the SSPDF, declined to confirm or deny the loss of the garrison in Yuai, stating he was consulting with the Chief of Defense Forces before issuing a formal statement.
However, Gatluak Reat, a member of the Jonglei state assembly representing Uror, confirmed to this publication the town’s fall. “The whereabouts of the government commissioner have now been confirmed. He has arrived in Tiam Payam and will be heading to neghbouring Duk County,” Reat said. “We have been trying to locate him since the town was overrun.”
The offensive has triggered a fresh wave of displacement in a region already reeling from years of instability. Residents in neighboring Duk Padiet reported hearing heavy artillery throughout the night.
“People in Patuet and Pajut are leaving their homes and moving to safer areas because they are afraid the fighting may spread,” said Chol Machar, a local resident of Duk Padiet. “The situation is very tense, and civilians are the ones suffering the most.”
Strategic context
The capture of Yuai effectively erases the government’s military presence across the three predominantly Lou Nuer counties of Nyirol, Uror, and Akobo, leaving only small SSPDF pockets in the Pading and Pulturuk areas.
The escalation comes just days after the military leadership in Juba ordered civilians to evacuate SPLA-IO controlled areas—a move often seen as a precursor to large-scale offensive operations.
“The beginning of the 2026 dry season is likely to witness deadly military confrontations across the country if inclusive dialogue is not embraced,” said Edmund Yakani, a prominent civil society advocate in Juba.