SPLA-IO division commander dies while on treatment in India

JUBA — A senior commander of South Sudan’s main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLA-IO), has died in India after a brief illness, the group said on Tuesday.

Major General James Gatluak Chuol died on Monday, January 12, while receiving medical treatment in India, according to a condolence statement issued by the SPLM-IO acting chairman Oyet Nathaniel.

Chuol was the commander of the SPLA-IO’s Division 4B in southern Unity State, a key formation under the group’s Sector Two command, and held the post until his death.

He was flown to India last week for treatment, party officials said, as tensions were rising within his division during his absence from the frontline.

Clashes broke out last week in Rubkong, just a few kilometers southeast of Leer town, after some SPLA-IO officers supported by armed youth sought to replace Chuol while he was undergoing treatment abroad, according to local sources.

The SPLA-IO did not comment directly on the fighting but said Chuol remained the legitimate commander of Division 4B at the time of his death.

Chuol also served as commissioner of Mayendit County in Unity State from 2001 to 2009 and again between 2012 and 2013, holding both military and civilian leadership roles.

“The people of South Sudan and particularly Mayendit have lost a great son and a dedicated leader and freedom fighter,” Oyet who is also the acting commander in chief of the main armed opposition group said in a statement.

Unity State has been repeatedly affected by internal fractures within armed groups, with leadership disputes often triggering localized violence in the oil-producing region.