AU, IGAD accused of ignoring civilian abuses as SPLA-IO condemns Ulony’s order

JUBA – The Sudan People’s Liberation Army–in Opposition (SPLA-IO) has accused regional and international bodies of failing to act against abuses targeting civilians in South Sudan, warning that such inaction has emboldened inflammatory military rhetoric.

In a statement issued Saturday, SPLA-IO spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel condemned remarks attributed to SSPDF Gen. Johnson Ulony, who instructed government forces deployed in the Poktap area in Duk County not to spare civilians, including the elderly, during operations in the greater Lou Nuer area.

“The SPLA-IO watched a disturbing video of Lt. Gen. Johnson Ulony giving orders to deployed SSPDF soldiers in Poktap not to spare even the elderly or chicken when they enter the greater Lou Nuer area,” Lam said. “This may sound new to other people, but it is not new to the SPLA-IO and the targeted innocent civilians in South Sudan.”

Lam claimed that violence against particular communities has persisted for years without accountability, arguing that silence from oversight bodies has allowed such conduct to continue unchecked.

“As South Sudanese, we are all aware that the SSPDF have been carrying out ethnic cleansing against particular communities in this country since 2013 to date, but we either don’t want to talk about it for fear of being targeted by the NSS, or choose to let it continue because one’s tribe is in power,” he said.

He extended the blame beyond domestic actors, accusing the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union (AU), and the international community of knowingly overlooking alleged atrocities.

“Furthermore, the IGAD, AU and the international community also know this well but chose to ignore,” Lam said.

“They watched the UPDF armed and supported the SSPDF to carry out this genocide but chose to make blanket statements to undermine its impact. So they should not be surprised with this statement of Gen. Ulony as they too are equally guilty of this crime against the affected community.”

The statement comes amid heightened military tensions in Jonglei and Upper Nile, where recent clashes between government forces and opposition-aligned fighters have displaced civilians and raised fears of wider conflict.

Lam urged civilians, particularly in Bor County and other flashpoint areas, to remain calm and avoid military installations, including police stations, as fighting intensifies.

“The mission to Juba is for the freedom of all suffering citizens of South Sudan,” he said.

He also called on SSPDF soldiers to defect, framing the conflict as a struggle against corruption and authoritarian rule rather than a national defence effort.

“The SPLA-IO continues to call on patriotic SSPDF soldiers to differentiate between fighting for a country and defending a corrupt regime,” Lam said. “The door is still open for you to join in the fight against corruption, dictatorship and tribalism or go home to your families.”

There was no immediate response from the SSPDF or government officials to Lam’s accusations. Regional bodies IGAD and the AU have previously called for restraint and protection of civilians in South Sudan, but have not publicly responded to the latest claims.