In a tragic escalation of the conflict in Western Equatoria, four soldiers of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) were killed in Tombura County during a fierce clash with armed forces of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO).
The violence, which comes just one day after UNMISS reported a disturbing incident involving the disarmament of their peace patrol team near Tombura, has fueled growing concerns over the security and stability of the region.
The deadly confrontation occurred in the Nadiama Payam area of Tombura County, where SPLA-IO forces launched a coordinated attack on an SSPDF base, leaving nine government soldiers dead, including a senior commander, according to SPLA-IO spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel.
In the aftermath, the SPLA-IO seized significant military equipment, including 13 AK-47 rifles, two PKM machine guns, and an RPG-7 rocket launcher.
“For the past two days, gunfire has continued in Tombura. People are shocked, and many have fled to the roadside, saying they are ready to die,” said one resident.
speaking on condition of anonymity, told Radio Tamazuj. The escalating violence has left civilians in a state of panic, with many seeking refuge in nearby areas as the fighting intensifies.
The conflict in Tombura has sparked widespread alarm, especially among civil society groups and local leaders, who are warning of an increasingly ethnic dimension to the violence.
The tension has been brewing since the dismissal of Gen. Alfred Futuyo Karaba, the SPLA-IO-appointed governor of Western Equatoria, earlier this year, a move that many view as a trigger for the ongoing instability in the region.
Maj. Gen. Phillip Madut Tong, the Western Equatoria State Police Commissioner, confirmed the clash but said that authorities are still in the process of gathering detailed information. A full report will be issued once the facts are verified.
The Network for Civil Society Organizations in Western Equatoria State (NeCSOs) has strongly condemned the recent fighting, decrying the suffering, displacement, and loss of life among the civilian population.
The group has called on South Sudan’s national parliament to address the Tombura crisis as a national security issue, urging lawmakers from the state to unite and take decisive action to restore peace.
“Military confrontation has never brought lasting solutions,” said NeCSOs in a statement issued Friday in Yambio.
“The people of Western Equatoria deserve peace, dignity, and protection.” The group also emphasized the need for a transparent investigation into the disarmament of the UNMISS patrol team to restore public trust.
The violence has raised concerns within the international community, with some fearing that the situation could devolve into a larger humanitarian crisis.
Mr. Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), condemned the use of military force to settle political disputes, warning that this could lead to crimes against humanity.
“The situation in Tombura is grave, and we urge both parties to halt the violence and engage in dialogue,” said Yakani. “The international community must remain vigilant, as this crisis has the potential to spill over beyond Western Equatoria.”
As fighting continues to rage in Tombura, the local population is left in a state of uncertainty, with no clear end in sight to the deadly conflict that is tearing apart the heart of Western Equatoria.
