South Sudan’s army has confirmed that soldiers defected from barracks in Yei and Morobo in Central Equatorial and Mundri in Western Equatoria.

The army is blaming the incidents on ‘telephone calls to Juba.’ SPLA Spokesman Col. Philip Aguer said that people had panicked but denied that the army was collapsing.

“Defection is part of armies emerging from a post-conflict state. That is not a signal of collapse,” he said, noting that the runaway soldiers fled to the forest and did not occupy any areas.

Aguer blamed the “use of phone as a medium of communication misleading people,” explaining that the defection in Yei occurred after members of SPLA in Yei were told that “Juba was under fire.”

He was referring to the events that occurred in Juba on Saturday night, which involved some incidents of random gunfire by 'drunken soldiers' as well as some heavy gunfights at the Qiyada barracks and Jebel area.

The army and presidential spokesmen at a press conference today did not specify which forces engaged in the clashes, but clarified that no substantial group of opposition fighters was involved.

A medical source told Radio Tamazuj that three people were killed in the latest events in Juba on Saturday night and ten others were wounded who are receiving treatment at the military hospital.

Soon after the outbreak of gunfire in Juba the events began to unfold in Yei. Led by Brigadier General Peter Tut, a group of about 120 soldiers left the barracks for the forest and were engaged in a clash at around 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, according to a local official. 

Yei County Commissioner Juba David Augustine told Radio Tamazuj that two SPLA soldiers were wounded in the fighting as well as one woman who was caught in the crossfire.

Augustine said the situation had stabilized but there was still fear in the town among the citizens. He added: “We don’t have any problem with any Nuer, such that somebody should go run and kill any Nuer guy. No, stay home and handle things like normal.”

Morobo and Mundri

According to the army spokesman, a platoon of about 30 soldiers also defected in Morobo and an unmentioned number in Mundri as well.

Outside Mundri the runaway soldiers stopped private trucks and vehicles. “Some soldiers commandeered trucks and vehicles of business people and they started looting in Mundri, they came and looted in Lui, they came and looted in Jambo,” said Aguer, mentioning two villages on the Mundri-Juba road.

“But they are being followed by the SPLA forces. These are people running away,” he said.

Fighting in Jonglei

Aguer informed that the battle of Bor was still continuing on Sunday nearby Pariak. On Saturday he said the SPLA mainly fought forces ‘comprised of the white army.’

He reported that this ‘white army’ is “composed of child soldiers who are misled through fantasy that there was a wounded warrior, that there is a left handed black person that will rule this country, and this was said 100 years ago. These people never know even Juba.”  

“As we speak the ‘white army’ are withdrawing,” he said, adding: “The SPLA this morning have been heavily fighting with the forces of Riek Machar in Pariak, and we assure they are moving ahead of Pariak.”

During the fighting one SPLA commander was killed in an ambush about 25 km south of Bor, BBC reports, without identifying him by name or rank.

BBC correspondent Alastair Leithead was with the government convoy that was ambushed. He said 'thousands' were involved in efforts to retake Bor.

Map: Incidents mentioned in this report which occurred 4-5 January 2014 (Radio Tamazuj)