South Sudan deploys thousands of troops to Nasir for forceful disarmament

MALAKAL – South Sudan has dispatched thousands of troops to Nasir County in Upper Nile State to enforce a forceful disarmament campaign, days after deadly clashes between the army and armed youth left four soldiers dead, according to multiple sources.

The deployment follows an escalation of violence in Nasir, where South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) clashed with local youth. While the SSPDF confirmed the deaths of four of its soldiers, the number of casualties among the armed youth remains unclear. Both sides have traded blame for the violence.

Speaking in Malakal on Saturday, Gen. Johnson Olony Thubo, the SSPDF Deputy Chief of Defense Forces for Mobilization and Disarmament, addressed soldiers before their deployment to Nasir, urging them to see their mission as a national duty rather than an act of aggression.

“In the name of God and the nation, my name is Johnson Olony, a son of South Sudan. In my opening remarks, I want to convey that we must forgive one another and turn a new page as an army that serves its country,” Olony said. “I urge all our soldiers to feel at home wherever they are deployed because they are in their own land, serving their nation.”

Olony dismissed rumors that the operation aimed to disarm specific ethnic groups, saying the process would be gradual and begin in Bahr el Ghazal before moving to Upper Nile. “Four days ago, I met with the President, and he instructed me that the disarmament process would start in Bahr el Ghazal – his home region – so that no one would misinterpret it as a targeted operation against the Nuer or any other ethnic group,” he said.

Despite these assurances, sources speaking to Sudans Post say armed youth are mobilizing in Nasir, Ulang, and parts of neighboring Jonglei State to resist the planned disarmament. The sources, who requested anonymity due to security concerns, said tensions were high, with local fighters vowing to confront government forces.

Reath Muoch Tang, a Member of Parliament representing Nasir County in the transitional parliament, strongly condemned the clashes and the military operation, describing it as an act of war against civilians rather than a peacekeeping effort.

“It has been eight years since the signing of the Peace Agreement, yet the people of Nasir remain under constant and deliberate attack by SSPDF forces stationed in Wechyar,” Muoch said in a statement. “These repeated assaults on innocent civilians are a flagrant violation of the Peace Agreement and a direct threat to the fragile stability of our nation.”

Muoch accused the government of escalating tensions by deploying additional troops under Gen. Olony’s command, citing reports of military gunships arriving in Malakal to escort reinforcements to Nasir. “This is not an act of peace, it is a declaration of war against the people of Nasir,” he said.

He called for the immediate withdrawal of SSPDF troops, urging the government to replace them with the Unified Forces as stipulated in the Peace Agreement. “The people of Nasir will not be silent as their lives are threatened. The world must take notice of this blatant violation of peace and hold those responsible accountable,” he said.

The government has not yet responded to Muoch’s statement, and it remains unclear when the disarmament process in Nasir will officially commence.