SSPDF chief visits Ruweng after deadly clashes in Wunkur

JUBA – The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Paul Nang Majok, travelled to Ruweng Administrative Area on Saturday following this week’s armed confrontations between government troops and SPLA-IO fighters in Wunkur County.

In a short statement, the Office of the Chief Administrator said Stephano Wieu De Mialek received the army chief in Ruweng and briefed him on the general security situation after days of heightened tensions.

“The visit aims to assess the general security situation in Ruweng Administrative Area,” the statement noted, adding that the Chief Administrator discussed key defence strategies with the visiting army chief. No additional details were disclosed regarding decisions taken during the meeting.

The visit comes three days after heavy fighting erupted at dawn on Wednesday, when SPLA-IO forces reportedly launched an attack on an SSPDF position in Wunkur County.

Local officials described the attack as the second armed assault in the area within a week, stressing that the situation remains volatile and casualty figures are still being compiled.

James Monyliak Majok, the information minister of Ruweng Administrative Area, told Sudans Post that several soldiers were killed and others wounded, but the exact number of casualties had not yet been confirmed due to ongoing security assessments.

Wunkur and the surrounding areas have witnessed recurring confrontations between government and opposition units despite the ceasefire arrangements under the revitalised peace agreement. Saturday’s high-level military visit appears aimed at evaluating the ground situation and reassuring local leadership amid renewed security concerns.

The Wunkur clashes reflect one of the many incidents of insecurity experienced by the Ruweng Administrative Area in recent months.

In November, two civilians and a soldier were killed when a suspected armed youth attacked an army barracks in the Ruweng Administrative Area, according to a local official.

James Monylual Mijiok, the area’s minister for communication and information, said at the time that the assailant, believed to be from Guit County in neighbouring Unity State, opened fire on an SSPDF barracks at the Man-Awal oil site, killing two civilian casual workers. Soldiers intervened, and one was shot dead.