SPLA-IO accuses UN of enabling arrest, killing of unarmed officer

JUBA — South Sudan’s main armed opposition has accused the United Nations mission of negligence and failing to protect its personnel after an unarmed officer was arrested and killed following clashes at a displaced persons camp in Unity State.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) alleged that the fatal incident occurred after fighting erupted on Sunday night inside the Bentiu IDP camp—a former U.N. protection of civilians site—between government forces and opposition elements of a joint police force.

SPLA-IO fighters were subsequently dislodged from the camp, with some members seeking cover among civilians.

On Tuesday afternoon, an SPLA-IO officer identified as Manger Chap and two other unarmed personnel were arrested inside the camp. While being transported on foot toward Rubkona town, Nyany was shot and killed by a government soldier, according to security sources.

Speaking to Sudans Post this evening, SPLA-IO Sector Two commander Peter Ruot Chuol confirmed the incident, but blamed the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) for permitting the arrests and killing within a protected area.

“These officers were unarmed and hiding inside the camp after the fighting and even a day after our units had left the camp. UNMISS was fully aware of their presence and allowed SSPDF forces to arrest them in full view of the mission. This is a serious failure to protect civilians and non-combatants,” he said.

Chuol accused the U.N. mission of permitting government forces to detain individuals suspected of links to the SPLA-IO inside the camp perimeter, warning that such actions risk further escalation and undermine civilian safety.

He called for the immediate withdrawal of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) from the site and the formal handing back of the camp to U.N. peacekeepers for security reasons. Addressing the deteriorating environment, Chuol stated:

“The presence of government forces within what should be a protected space has fundamentally compromised the safety of the thousands of displaced people living here. We are calling for the total withdrawal of the SSPDF from the camp and for UNMISS to take back full control of security,” he said.

“The current practice of allowing the military to enter the perimeter and detain individuals based on suspected political affiliations is a violation of international standards that will only lead to further bloodshed if the UN does not step in to restore its previous protection mandate,” he added.

The violence in the camp follows a broader military escalation. SPLA-IO Sector Two spokesman Col. Kerbino Yai Pazale confirmed that fresh fighting broke out Tuesday in Kaljak, west of Rubkona, though he declined to provide a casualty count.

Unity State has become a primary flashpoint following the collapse of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement and the detention of opposition leader Riek Machar.

In recent weeks, the SSPDF’s 4^th Infantry Division and SPLA-IO units have clashed near the Sudanese border and in neighboring Jonglei State, where strategic towns such as Waat and Yuai have recently fallen to government forces.

The Unity State government and the SSPDF 4^th Infantry Division did not immediately respond to requests for comment.