Forces loyal to South Sudan’s First Vice President, Riek Machar, and the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) have accused each other of initiating gunfire at the Wunliet military camp, a cantonment site for the SPLA-IO west of Juba.
The camp, located on the outskirts of Terekeka County, was reportedly shelled on Monday evening.
Col. Lam Paul Gabriel, spokesperson for the SPLA-IO, said in a statement: “At around 19:00 hours, the SSPDF randomly bombarded our cantonment site. This provocative action violates the Revitalized Peace Agreement (R-ARCSS).”
He condemned the attack as a “planned act” by the SSPDF and called for urgent international intervention to prevent further violence.
When contacted by Radio Tamazuj, SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang declined to comment due to the late hour. However, earlier in the day, he said the SSPDF had been monitoring SPLA-IO movements near Juba.
“Over the past three days, we have observed increased SPLA-IO activity near Wunliet,” he said. “SPLA-IO forces, under Gen. Benjamin Gore, have been moving in a hostile military formation, approaching our positions in Nyamuni near Wunliet.”
He added that the SSPDF had withdrawn under orders from the Chief of Defence Forces to avoid escalation.
Multiple sources reported that the Wunliet camp was bombed by a gunship allegedly operated by Ugandan forces—though Radio Tamazuj has not independently verified the claims.
Calls for De-escalation
Edmund Yakani, a prominent civil society activist, expressed deep concern over the airstrikes in Wunliet. “This is a serious setback for the peace agreement,” he said, urging dialogue to prevent further violence.
He warned that without swift intervention from regional bloc IGAD and the international community, the situation could spiral into full-scale conflict in South Sudan.