SPLM-IO issues civilian safety warnings amid renewed clashes in Northern Jonglei

BOR — The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) has issued precautionary warnings to civilians and humanitarian organisations following renewed clashes between its forces and the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) in the northern part of South Sudan’s Jonglei State.

In a statement dated December 27, 2025, Pal Mai Deng, the SPLM-IO spokesperson and chairperson of the National Committee for Information and Communication, said the warnings were issued amid what he described as “genocide stoppage, self-defence, and R-ARCSS peacekeeping operations” in Northern Jonglei.

The statement urges civilians living near SSPDF military barracks and areas within artillery firing ranges to immediately evacuate to avoid being caught in crossfire. Where evacuation is not possible, civilians are advised to remain indoors during shelling and to avoid wearing clothing or symbols associated with the SSPDF or allied forces, which could expose them to risk.

“As a precautionary measure, civilians must distance themselves from active military positions and avoid any actions that could endanger their lives,” the statement reads.

The SPLM-IO also temporarily designated Pieri, Motot, and Paluony as safe zones for displaced civilians and humanitarian workers, pending approval for the inclusion of Pathai as an additional safe area. Civilians were warned not to take part in the ongoing military confrontation between SPLA-IO forces and the SSPDF and what the group referred to as “mercenaries.”

In an appeal to the international community, the SPLM-IO called on the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in South Sudan to mobilise humanitarian organisations for short-term, rapid emergency responses in the designated safe zones. The group also said it would allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unrestricted access to prisoners of war currently in SPLA-IO custody in Waat.

The warnings come against the backdrop of escalating violence in the area. On the eve of Christmas, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) announced it had captured an SSPDF military base in Waat following an early morning assault.

According to a statement issued by SPLA-IO spokesperson Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel and obtained by Sudans Post, Division 8 forces operating under Sector 3 launched the attack at around 5:30 a.m., overrunning the SSPDF position after what the group described as a successful military operation.

The SPLA-IO claimed it seized a large cache of weapons and military equipment, including heavy machine guns, mortars, armoured personnel carriers, artillery pieces, amphibious vehicles, and multiple pickup trucks, alongside assorted light weapons.

The SSPDF has not publicly responded to the claims, and independent verification of the battlefield developments remains difficult due to restricted access and ongoing insecurity.

The latest fighting has raised concerns about civilian protection in Jonglei, a region that has endured repeated cycles of conflict despite the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that renewed hostilities risk worsening displacement and limiting access to already vulnerable communities.