Government, SPLM/A-IO trade blame over renewed fighting

JUBA – South Sudan’s government and the main opposition movement, the SPLM/A-IO, are trading accusations over responsibility for the latest outbreak of fighting and accusing each other of starting the conflict as tensions rise and the country’s fragile peace faces fresh strain.

In an interview with the BBC on Tuesday, Information Minister and government spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny accused the SPLM/A-IO of initiating attacks against government forces following the arrest of opposition leader Dr Riek Machar and other senior figures.

“The SPLM/A-IO started to attack the government forces in their areas where they were stationed, particularly in the wake of the arrest of the former First Vice President Dr Riek Machar and others,” Ateny said. “The elements of the SPLM/A-IO started to fight, and the SSPDF fought back in self-defence.”

Ateny insisted that the government remains committed to stability and portrayed military operations as defensive actions against opposition advances. He also maintained that questions surrounding Dr Machar’s detention are being handled through legal channels.

“Whether Dr Riek Machar will be released or convicted is not for me to say. It is the prerogative of the competent court. This is an issue of due process,” he added.

The SPLM/A-IO rejected the government’s account, calling the claims “false, misleading, and a deliberate inversion of reality.”

In a statement authored by Puok Both Baluang, Acting Press Secretary in the Office of the suspended First Vice President, the opposition accused the ruling SPLM-IG and allied forces of provoking the violence and violating the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement (R-ARCSS).

“These claims are a calculated attempt to conceal systematic violations of the peace agreement,” the statement said.

The opposition alleged that government forces and allied militias have attacked its assembly areas and cantonment sites protected under the peace accord. It said its forces responded only in self-defence.

“Our forces did not choose war. They responded to unprovoked aggression in the legitimate exercise of self-defence,” the statement said.

The SPLM/A-IO traced the current violence to attacks on its bases in Kubri Bou, Nagero County, Western Equatoria State, on 11 January, and in Kubri Ngap, Jur River County, Western Bahr el Ghazal, on 15 January. It also accused government forces and allied militias of deploying to Nasir County, Upper Nile State, on 22 February, triggering deadly clashes.

Beyond the fighting, the opposition accused the government of undermining the peace process by removing opposition officials from positions allocated under the agreement and replacing them with loyalists. It also condemned the arrest and detention of senior opposition figures, including Dr. Machar, Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chuol, lawmaker Gatwech Lam Puoch, and Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam.

“The continued detention of our leaders is not justice — it is political repression,” the statement said, calling for their immediate release.

Despite the tensions, the SPLM/A-IO said it remains committed to the peace agreement but warned it would defend its forces if attacked.

South Sudan’s 2018 peace deal ended a five-year civil war that killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. However, delays in security reforms, stalled implementation of key provisions, and deep political mistrust continue to threaten the transition.

The government denies violating the peace agreement and maintains that it is acting to preserve national stability, while the SPLM/A-IO insists it is responding to government-led aggression.