South Sudan army spokesman says ‘not under arrest’ after rebel advance in Jonglei

JUBA — South Sudan’s army spokesman on Friday denied claims that he had been dismissed or placed under arrest, seeking to quell widespread speculation that followed a rebel advance in Jonglei State and a prolonged silence from the military after the fall of a strategic town.

Major General Lul Ruai Koang, the spokesperson for the government forces, issued a brief statement late on Friday rejecting reports circulating on social media that he had been detained or relieved of his duties following the capture of Pajut by opposition fighters.

“This brief statement serves to inform own rank and file and the public that I’m neither relieved of my duties nor arrested,” Lul Ruai said, urging the public to disregard what he described as deliberate misinformation spread by “anti-peace elements.”

The rumours emerged hours after fighters from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) overran Pajut, a key settlement located along the main road north of the Jonglei state capital Bor, in what appeared to be one of the most significant rebel advances in the area in recent months.

The government army, formally known as the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), did not immediately issue an official statement confirming or denying the loss of the town, nor did it address unverified reports that a senior government general had been killed during the fighting.

That silence, coupled with the rapid spread of battlefield claims online, fuelled speculation that senior officers — including the army spokesman — had faced internal disciplinary measures following the setback.

Delays in public briefings in South Sudan are often linked to internal command procedures rather than internal rifts.

Since a diplomatic crisis several years ago, when a Ugandan military incursion into South Sudan triggered tensions between Juba and Kampala, public statements on military operations have required clearance from the chief of defence forces.

Those procedures were introduced to avoid contradictory messaging on sensitive security matters, particularly those with regional implications, but they have also slowed the army’s public response during fast-moving clashes within the country.

Uganda has repeatedly deployed troops to South Sudan during previous phases of the conflict to support government forces against rebel advances, interventions that played a decisive role in preventing the collapse of the capital Juba but also heightened sensitivities over sovereignty and regional involvement.