Panyume Fighting Near Yei: What Was Reported
Fighting erupted Tuesday morning in Panyume, a small town on South Sudan’s southern border, amid competing claims from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition and local civil sources. The incident comes in a context of heightened political and military messaging around the capital, Juba.
SPLA-IO Claims: Offensive and Pursuit Toward Morobo
Col. Lam Paul Gabriel, spokesman for the SPLA-IO, said the clashes began as opposition forces launched an offensive aimed at taking control of Panyume. He added that government troops were retreating south toward Morobo County headquarters, roughly 21 kilometres away, according to his account.
“Details will follow shortly as the SSPDF are being pursued towards Morobo county HQ,” Lam said in a statement. His remarks describe a fluid battlefield, though independent confirmation from inside Panyume remained limited at the time of reporting.
Control of Panyume: Opposition Assertion, Limited Verification
Gatluak Wichar Nyah, a senior SPLM-IO official and former Rubkona County commissioner, claimed Panyume had fallen to the opposition. “Panyume [is now] under control of SPLA-IO and [the forces] are advancing toward Morobo and Yei,” he said.
Journalists could not independently verify these claims from within Panyume. However, civil sources in Morobo told Sudans Post they could hear gunfire to the north, supporting that clashes were taking place in the area.
SSPDF Response Awaited as Details Emerge
The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In fast-moving incidents, official confirmations and casualty figures often take time to emerge, leaving early narratives shaped largely by statements from armed actors and residents near the fighting.
Why Panyume Matters: Location, Distance and Strategic Corridor
Panyume serves as the administrative headquarters of Panyume Payam in Morobo County, Central Equatoria State. The town is about 45 kilometres southeast of Yei and roughly 21 kilometres northeast of Morobo town.
Its position along a corridor long considered sensitive, partly due to its proximity to Juba, adds national significance to clashes that might otherwise appear local. Movements on this route can quickly raise security concerns beyond Central Equatoria.
Juba Advance Messaging: Welebe Video and Public Warnings
The violence followed a directive attributed to Lt. Gen. Wisley Welebe Samson, SPLA-IO deputy chief of staff for operations, who called on opposition forces to prepare for an assault on Juba, describing the capital as the movement’s primary objective.
“We are on a journey now. This journey is not anywhere else except Juba. We are going to Juba,” Welebe said in a video circulated Sunday. “The little things we have, we’ll use them. The one given by God, we’ll use it.”
In the same message, Welebe added: “You don’t kill a snake from the tail unless you cut off the head. We are coming, comrades.” He also urged other armed groups and disaffected SSPDF elements to join the offensive, according to the video.
After the video circulated, Lam issued a warning to residents in the capital, asking them to “to help God by vacating imminent military targets.” The statement prompted concern among residents, recalling past battles in Juba that led to displacement and civilian casualties.
Wider Security Pressures: Jonglei, Upper Nile, Unity
Developments in Central Equatoria are unfolding alongside intensified fighting in Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Unity states in recent months. The report also points to recurrent confrontations around Rubkona, Leer, and Mayom counties that have disrupted humanitarian operations.
In Eastern Equatoria, sporadic ambushes along key roads have added to insecurity. In Jonglei State, cycles of violence involving community militias and defectors were reported to have resulted in the capture of a small town on the main route to Bor.
2018 Peace Agreement Under Strain, Analysts Say
Analysts cited in the report say overlapping conflicts are severely straining the 2018 peace agreement that ended South Sudan’s five-year civil war. With multiple hotspots active at once, local flare-ups can interact with national-level political tensions in unpredictable ways.
A Town That Has Changed Hands Before
Panyume has changed hands before, according to the report. SPLA-IO forces captured the town during a brief escalation last year but were later dislodged by government troops, underscoring how control in contested areas can shift quickly.
Competing Narratives on Responsibility and Next Steps
Government officials have repeatedly accused the opposition of undermining the peace deal, while the SPLA-IO argues that sustained military pressure and political exclusion leave it with few options. As official responses and field reporting develop, observers will watch whether rhetoric translates into wider operations.