South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has posthumously promoted two military officers killed in recent clashes between government forces and armed youth in Upper Nile State, amid escalating tensions threatening the country’s fragile peace agreement.
In a decree broadcast on state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Tuesday, Maj Gen David Majur Dak, the late commander of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) in Nasir, was posthumously promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General.
Gen Dak died last week during fighting in Nasir, reportedly killed by the White Army, a militia allegedly linked to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO).
The president also posthumously promoted Captain David Anyang Ring Lual, a military pilot killed in a helicopter crash during combat in Baliet County, Upper Nile State, to the rank of colonel.
Survivors of the violence in Nasir County are being evacuated to Juba, though the exact number of casualties remains unverified.
In recent weeks, tensions have escalated between forces loyal to President Kiir and those of his First Vice President, Riek Machar, who leads the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO).
The recent violence in Nasir prompted Kiir’s administration to intensify its crackdown on Machar’s allies. Among those detained are the Petroleum Minister and several senior military officials aligned with the First Vice President.