Hundreds of youth fighters defect to SSPDF in southern Unity after clashes

JUBA — More than 500 local armed youth linked to South Sudan’s main opposition group have defected to the national army in Unity State, a commander said on Wednesday, following deadly internal clashes at a base near a strategic port.

The group of at least 530 fighters, previously aligned with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO), formally joined the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) in Leer County.

The defection included the handover of a significant arsenal, including PKM machine guns, RPG-7 launchers, and AK-47 rifles.

The shift follows violent clashes last week at the Rubkong base, near Adok port, between these youth and SPLA-IO fighters. The fighting, which took place on January 9, and continued into the following days, exposed deep fractures within the opposition’s Division 4B.

Brigadier General John Puot Gatjiek Liem, who led the youth in the defection alongside his deputy Colonel Kuach Gatluok Kai, said the violence marked a permanent break with the SPLA-IO leadership.

“I was the one who initiated the fighting with SPLA-IO generals led by Ruot Chuol on January 6, and I later decided to join the SSPDF in Leer County under its leadership,” Puot told Sudans Post yesterday.

He claimed that his forces remain in control of the Rubkong base and the surrounding Pilieny area.

The internal rift was reportedly triggered by leadership changes. Multiple opposition sources told Sudans Post last week that the violence was sparked by youth who rejected the alleged replacement of an opposition commander for the group’s division 4B who later passed on in India while on treatment.

Sudans Post has learned that at least five people died in the skirmish, including three SPLA-IO soldiers.

The SPLA-IO’s sector two accused senior figures within the movement, including military commissioner James Yoach Bading Yageah, of undermining command structures and fueling the unrest.

The defection of such a large number of community-based fighters—often referred to locally as “White Army” youth—represents a significant blow to the opposition’s influence in southern Unity State. Puot, now operating under the national army’s command, called for the total removal of parallel forces in the region.

“There cannot be peace in Unity State as long as armed SPLA-IO forces continue to operate outside the unified command,” Puot said. “Disarmament is necessary to restore security and prevent further clashes.”

Unity State remains one of South Sudan’s most volatile oil-producing regions. While the 2018 peace agreement intended to integrate rival factions into a single national military, the process has been hampered by political mistrust and frequent “floor-crossing” by local commanders.

Analysts warn that while the SSPDF may gain a tactical advantage from these defections, the influx of former rival youth into the national ranks remains a sensitive process that could spark further localized cycles of violence if not managed through formal integration channels.