A police commander loyal to the regime of President Salva Kiir has admitted that large numbers of police defected and joined the rebellion in the Raja area when Raja town was overrun two months ago.

“The activities of the police in Lol State are very weak because when the attack of the 15th [of June] happened half of the police rebelled and defected to the [SPLM] IO in addition to the police and wildlife,” said Lol State Police Commissioner Major General Kon John Akot.

Kon has announced that recruitment of more police forces for the Lol State service is ongoing. He explained that their remaining forces are stranded outside of the state capital as they seek to come up with enough forces to return to the now partly depopulated town. He said, “Those people are there so we withdrew and came to Nyamlel. We are trying to make recruitment so that we are able to return to Raja.”

Opposition fighters attacked Raja in mid-June as the Lol State government sought to establish itself in the town. Raja is meant to serve as capital of the controversial new state, but local tribal leaders warned last year that they would not accept a presidential order merging Raja County with Dinka-inhabited parts of Northern Bahr al Ghazal State.

The presidential decree has increased tensions between ethnic Fertit groups and Dinka in the area, which belonged to Western Bahr el Ghazal State at the independence of South Sudan. Many prominent Raja citizens have joined the rebellion including town mayor James Benjamin.

Although no group has claimed credit for the attack on Raja in June, reports suggest that a group of fighters locally recruited and aligned with South Sudan's main rebel group SPLM-IO carried out the assault. Government troops retook Raja in June but many of the appointed Lol State officials have failed to return to the town, instead spending time in neighboring areas of Nyamlel, Aweil or Juba.

According to Maj-Gen. Kon, his force has received reinforcements from police services of the new Wau State and Aweil State in the hope of completing the Lol State police unit.

Raja County is located in South Sudan's far northwest bordering Darfur and Central African Republic. The local population was not directly affected by the civil conflict of 2014-2015, compared to harder-hit areas, but has experienced mass displacement and hunger owing to insecurity this year.