A militia group known as the White Army says it has taken control of the strategic town of Nasir in Upper Nile State, South Sudan, following intense fighting with government forces.
The White Army, a loosely organised group predominantly made up of armed Nuer youth, announced on Tuesday that it had seized the town after hours of clashes with the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF).
Ter Chuol Gatkuoth, a White Army leader in Nasir, told Radio Tamazuj this evening that the armed youth had driven government troops out of the town.
“We clashed with government soldiers this morning and chased them away. They are now in the bushes,” he said. “We are in control of Nasir town and have taken over their military barracks in Wei-Yar-Adiu. We have seized their heavy machine guns and a barge they used to transport troops.”
Mr Gatkuoth also claimed that many SSPDF soldiers had been killed, with their bodies left on the ground, while the White Army had lost more than 20 fighters.
“Those killed from the side of the White Army are more than 21 killed. However, I have no precise information on the number of soldiers killed on the SSPDF,” Gatkuoth said.
Upper Nile State Information Minister James Basha confirmed to Radio Tamazuj that fighting had been ongoing in Nasir since Monday but said details about casualties remained unclear.
“Clashes resumed in Nasir on Tuesday morning, and the White Army took part of the army barracks. There are casualties, but we are still gathering details,” he said.
The SSPDF has not yet provided an official statement on the situation. In a brief message posted on his official Facebook page, SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang said the army was “not in a position to provide a media briefing on the security situation in Nasir and the surrounding areas.”
Nasir, a strategic town near the Ethiopian border, has been a flashpoint in South Sudan’s civil unrest. The White Army, which has played a significant role in past conflicts, is known for its involvement in ethnic violence and its opposition to government forces.
The group’s latest advance raises concern about escalating violence in Upper Nile state, which has been plagued by instability since 2013.