South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Jenifer James
The clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in opposition (SPLA-IO) have displaced more than 7,000 people in Morobo County, Central Equatoria State.
The fighting which erupted since last week has uprooted mostly women, children, and the elderly from their homes, according to Data Charles, Commissioner of Morobo County.
“As of today, 7,188 civilians have been displaced due to the recent confrontations. These people are in dire need of food, shelter, and medical support,” Charles told The Dawn on Thursday.
“There is no active fighting at the moment, and the area is calm. However, the violence that occurred roughly 2 kilometres from the County centre has caused serious disruption to the lives of many,” Charles said.
Edmund Yakani, Executive Director for the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), said majority of the displaced were returnees who had recently arrived from refugee camps in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to rebuild their lives.
“These returnees had voluntarily come back with hope, but their dreams of rebuilding through agriculture have been shattered. They are now forced to flee again due to renewed conflict,” Yakani said in a statement.
He condemned the use of violence to settle political differences and urged national leaders to pursue dialogue.
“The continued reliance on violence undermines our efforts to transition from conflict to peace. We urge our leaders to embrace dialogue as the only path to political resolution,” Yakani said.
He also recalled the warning of Sudanese scholar Dr. Hassan Ahmed Al-Turabi, who once predicted South Sudan, could fall into internal conflict after independence in 2011.
“Sadly, we are seeing those words come to life, but there is still hope. Our leaders still have a chance to take responsibility and steer the country away from war,” Yakani noted.
In addition, Yakani called for accountability for human rights violations committed during the clashes.
“Justice and the rule of law must prevail whether the violations happen in Morobo, Nasir or anywhere else,” he said.
The South Sudan People’s Defense Forces and Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in opposition have been fighting since February 25, 2025. The two sides have clashes in Ulang, Wunaliet, Rambur training centers and in several areas of the country where SPLA-IO forces are cantoned.
