South Sudan’s armed opposition says it has been engaged in heavy fighting with government forces in Jonglei state, in what it describes as a brutal confrontation that could prove decisive.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition said clashes had intensified in recent days, while the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces confirmed it was seeking to recapture all areas currently held by opposition fighters.
The two sides are rival factions of the movement that led South Sudan to independence in 2011, but their fallout later plunged the country into years of civil war marked by widespread violence and humanitarian crises.
Civilians have once again borne the brunt of the fighting. The Chairperson of the Civil Society Network in Jonglei state, Bol Deng Bol, said large numbers of people had been forced to flee as clashes spread.
“As a result of the fighting, civilians are always being displaced and civilian infrastructure is being destroyed,” Bol told the BBC. “This is what is generally happening. Many people have fled the area, and displacement remains massive, even more so as the conflict continues.”
Jonglei state has long been a flashpoint for violence, with recurring clashes exacerbating food insecurity and displacement in one of South Sudan’s most fragile regions. Humanitarian groups warn that renewed fighting could further strain already limited aid operations and worsen conditions for communities caught in the crossfire.
–ChannelAfrica–
