Clashes in Leer County were bound to happen due to silence on the tension since October

The Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in opposition (SPLA-IO) led by First Vice President early in November issued warning that tension was building up in particularly Leer County of Unity State, but no action was taken by parties to the transitional government to diffuse the situation.

The results are the latest clashes around Leer County which have forced thousands to flee their homes.

 Ever since former SPLA-IO commander Gen. Simon Maguek Gai Majak defected with hundreds of soldier in October to join the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), the security situation in Leer County started to deteriorate.

The continuous opportunism in the form of defections is partly to blame for intermittent fighting among the parties.

 This was witnessed in Upper Nile state between the faction of Agwelek led by Gen. Johnson Olony and SPLA-IO Kitgwang led by Gen.Simon Gatwech Dual. The fighting between these two factions killed nearly 600 civilians between August and December in 2022 in Upper Nile State.

The ongoing tension and mobilization in Leer County by armed actors should be condemned and stopped by the transitional government. The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring Evaluation Commission and the Ceasefire Monitors need to intervene to ensure the situation does not deteriorate further in Leer County