A South Sudanese rebel leader has denounced airstrikes carried out by the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) in Upper Nile State, accusing the government of escalating violence against civilians and jeopardizing fragile peace efforts in the region.
The attacks, which occurred on Tuesday, targeted areas including Ulang County and surrounding regions, where armed civilians, known as the White Army, are based. The airstrikes come amid heightened tensions over the alleged deployment of SSPDF forces to Nasir County, raising concerns of renewed conflict in the area.
Duer Tut Duer, chairman of the South Sudan Reforms Movement/Fighters (SSRM/F), a breakaway faction of the opposition SPLM-IO led by First Vice President Riek Machar, accused the SSPDF and the government of President Salva Kiir of violating the peace process.
“The airstrikes are a severe violation of peace efforts and an unjustifiable escalation of violence,” Duer said.
Local residents reported that the first airstrike occurred on Tuesday at around 8 a.m. in Doma Payam, Ulang County, targeting positions held by armed civilians. A second wave of attacks was reported later in the afternoon in Chuil Payam, Nyirol County, Jonglei State, near the Sobat River. No casualties have been confirmed so far.
The security situation in Upper Nile has been volatile since mid-February, when clashes between the SSPDF and the White Army in Nasir County left five people dead and several injured. The fighting, which took place on the outskirts of Nasir town, prompted many residents to flee, leaving the area largely deserted.
Tensions escalated further after the government announced plans to deploy new forces to Nasir to rotate troops stationed in the area for several years. This move has sparked fears among locals that the incoming forces may target civilians or initiate a disarmament campaign, potentially reigniting conflict.
Duer, a former senior SPLM official who joined Machar’s forces after the 2013 civil war but later formed his own group, criticized the involvement of ethnic militias in the deployment of the SSPDF forces to Nasir County, warning that such tactics undermine peace efforts.
“The forces ordered to go to Nuer areas in Nasir and Ulang counties are not unified national forces. This is a serious problem,” Duer told Radio Tamazuj. “The government must adhere to the terms of the agreement, involving all relevant parties and avoiding the use of tribal militias from the Shilluk and Dinka communities.”
Duer also accused the government of reneging on a promise to engage in peaceful talks with the White Army from Nasir and Ulang counties. He said state officials had informed the group on February 22 that a delegation, including the governor and deputy governor, would visit them for discussions in Gel Achel, Baliet County. Instead, on February 24, government attack helicopters targeted civilians in Doma Payam of Ulang County and nearby areas, he added.
“The White Army had prepared to receive their government delegation, but instead, only attack helicopters arrived, attacking them in Doma and nearby areas,” Duer said. “This was a hostile attack on innocent people who were expecting a peaceful interaction with their government.”
He warned that the government’s reliance on tribal militias and its failure to address corruption and nepotism risked derailing the peace process. “If the regime continues to fight civilians, as they did before during the civil war, we are headed for disaster,” Duer said.
Separately, Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), condemned the violence, calling it a violation of the permanent ceasefire. He urged the White Army to refrain from undermining the SSPDF troop rotation process in Nasir and called for dialogue to resolve grievances.
“The ongoing frictions and violence in Ulang County and other parts of Upper Nile, as well as ceasefire violations in Western Equatoria, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, and Unity states, may lead the country back to war,” Yakani warned.
CEPO called on South Sudan’s leadership to urgently address the violence and ensure that all parties engage in dialogue to prevent further escalation.
The situation in Upper Nile remains tense, with fears of further violence if the government and the White Army fail to resolve their differences through dialogue.