The incident stemmed from an attempt to avenge the deaths of three colleagues killed in a clash with the SSPDF last week in Ayen Angol village, Twic County.
The arrests follow a violent skirmish between the SSPDF and armed youths in Ayen Angol, a village located near the border of Gogrial East and Twic Counties.
According to Gogrial East County Commissioner William Duchak Bol Duchak, one of the deceased youths was identified as a resident of Gogrial East, while the identities of the other two, presumed to be from Twic County, remain unknown.
The clash has heightened tensions in the region, prompting the SSPDF to take decisive action to prevent further violence.
“We have arrested five young men to contain the situation,” Commissioner Duchak told reporters on Wednesday evening.
“These individuals have been attacking communities they perceive as enemies, which is unacceptable. As representatives of the Warrap State government, we are working tirelessly to restore peace and stability in our communities,” he added.
Maj Gen. Juma Reyan Deng, commander of the SSPDF’s Division 11 in Gogrial East, confirmed the arrests, describing the detained youths as increasingly volatile.
“These armed youths are becoming uncontrollable,” Deng said. “We have urged them to identify those responsible for the killings and the looting of weapons, but they have refused to cooperate. Detaining these suspects is necessary to facilitate thorough investigations and prevent further unrest.”
Warrap State, located in northwestern South Sudan, has long been plagued by intercommunal violence, cattle raiding, and clashes between armed groups and government forces.
The region’s challenges are compounded by widespread poverty, limited infrastructure, and the proliferation of small arms among civilians, particularly young men.
These factors have fueled cycles of revenge attacks and lawlessness, often involving armed youths who operate outside formal security structures.
Meanwhile, the SSPDF, South Sudan’s national military, established in 2018 as part of a peace agreement to unify various armed factions following the country’s civil war from 2013–2018, has faced criticism for its handling of local conflicts, with some communities accusing it of heavy-handed tactics.
In Warrap State, tensions between the SSPDF and armed youths have escalated in recent years, as young men, often driven by economic desperation or clan loyalties, engage in looting, cattle rustling, and retaliatory violence. The recent clash in Ayen Angol is emblematic of these broader issues.
