Fighting erupts between SPLA-IO and armed youth in southern Unity

BENTIU – Fierce fighting broke out early on Monday morning between the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) and local armed youth in Panyijiar County of Unity State, resulting in at least six deaths.

Panyijiar is one of the seven counties of Unity State and shares a southern border with Lakes State, where intercommunal conflict, often triggered by cattle raiding, has been a recurring problem since South Sudan’s independence in 2011.

Eyewitnesses and senior government officials told Sudans Post that the clashes began at Pacheingjok when the heavily armed youth resisted local government efforts to recover cattle reportedly stolen from Lakes State several months ago.

The government forces from the SPLA-IO were attempting to retrieve the stolen livestock when the violence erupted and were led by Panyijiar County Commissioner Gabriel Majok Bol, an appointee of the SPLM, the political wing of the SPLA-IO.

“I am speaking to you from the county, and the fighting had stopped, but it has resumed now. The issue is that the youth had stolen cows from Lakes State, and when the county commissioner and the SPLA-IO soldiers tried to recover the cattle, the youth became hostile,” said a government official on condition of anonymity.

“The local government under the leadership of commissioner Gabriel Majok Bol attempted to go and return the cattle by force, and this led to the outbreak of fighting between the two sides with a big number of people killed,” he added.

A local resident who also refused to be identified said that the SPLA-IO force that was accompanying the commissioner were pushed back from Pachenjok where the fighting begun to the country headquarters, Panyijiar.

“The government forces were returned to the centre of the country, but at around 11:32 AM, the fighting had reignited, and government forces launched another attack,” the source said.

A senior government official close to the country commission told Sudans Post separately that at least six people have been confirmed dead, with two of the casualties from the side of the government forces, according to sources on the ground.

CORRECTION: Fighting in Panyijiar county involves SPLA-IO and civilians

BENTIU – An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the fighting in Panyijiar County involved a joint force of the SSPDF and SPLA-IO. There are no SSPDF forces in Panyijiar County. The fighting was between an SPLA-IO force led by County Commissioner Gabriel Majok Bol, an SPLM-IO appointee, and local civilians.

Local authorities and the youth have reported that two people have been killed, not six as previously stated. An update to the aftermath of the fighting is here: Government, armed civilians trade blames for Panyijiar clash