Local official blames gov’t forces for deadly attacks on civilians in Jonglei

JUBA – A local official in South Sudan’s volatile Jonglei state on Monday accused government forces of deliberately targeting civilians and destroying homes in the town of Lankien, escalating tensions in a region already marred by renewed military clashes between rival factions.

Nyirol County’s opposition-appointed commissioner, Peter Gatkuoth Koang Dhuor, said in a statement that soldiers from the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) had carried out attacks on unarmed residents starting on Feb. 7, resulting in the deaths of elderly people, children, and those with disabilities.

“I speak about what has happened to our people in Lankien,” Gatkuoth said. “Lankien is not a battlefield. It is a home.”

The commissioner alleged that the attacks were politically motivated and backed by Jonglei State Governor Riek Gai Kok and senior officials from the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), specifically naming James Bol Makuey.

He said homes and public infrastructure had been burned, forcing families to sleep in the open without shelter.

“Justice must not be selective, and it must not be delayed,” Gatkuoth said, calling for immediate humanitarian assistance and accountability for the commanders responsible.

South Sudan army spokesman and the office of the Jonglei State Governor were not immediately available to comment on the allegations.

The accusations come amid a surge in fighting in Jonglei state between the national army (SSPDF) and the armed opposition, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO).

Despite a 2018 peace agreement that united President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar in a transitional government, the security arrangements remain unimplemented.

Nyirol County has historically been a stronghold for the SPLA-IO, and recent weeks have seen heavy skirmishes as government forces attempt to assert control in the Greater Akobo region.

Both sides have frequently traded blame for ceasefire violations, with civilians often bearing the brunt of the violence.

The breakdown in security has been further exacerbated by inter-communal militias and flooding, which has displaced thousands and cut off supply routes for humanitarian aid.

Gatkuoth warned that the “divisive agenda” driving the destruction in Lankien threatened to derail hopes for peace in the wider nation.