Renewed Violence in Central Equatoria
The sound of heavy weapons shattered dawn in Lasu and Libogo on Saturday, marking the sharpest confrontation in months between South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and the SPLA-IO. Both camps accuse each other of provoking the firefight that shook Yei River County.
Fragile Peace Accord Faces Key Test
Signed in 2018, the Revitalized Agreement promised unified forces and nation-wide cease-fire. Yet slow cantonment, unpaid troops and rival command structures keep mistrust alive, analysts observe.
CEPO Executive Director Edmund Yakani urged field commanders to shield civilians, warning that every violation chips away at confidence and imperils scheduled elections.
Conflicting Battlefield Narratives
SPLA-IO spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel hailed a “successful offensive,” claiming two government outposts were overrun, twelve soldiers killed and heavy weapons captured.
County Commissioner Emmanuel Taban Seme dismissed the account as propaganda, insisting government forces repelled a dawn raid and restored calm by mid-morning.
Independent verification proved impossible; phone lines were erratic and roads too dangerous for reporters to reach the contested villages.
Human Cost Returns to Yei
Families fled through maize fields as mortars echoed, reliving the traumatic offensives of 2016. “We want peace, not heroic statements,” one displaced mother told our magazine by telephone.
Local clinics, already strained by malaria season, received dozens of wounded civilians, according to a nurse who requested anonymity for security reasons.
Regional and Global Stakeholders Urge Restraint
IGAD, the African Union and the EU reiterated that funding and diplomatic support depend on visible progress toward unified forces and credible security reforms.
“There is no military shortcut to political consensus,” stressed CPA Executive Director Ter Manyang Gatwech, echoing calls for accountability mechanisms to deter spoilers.
Options to Keep the Transition Afloat
Analysts propose accelerated graduation of the Necessary Unified Forces, joint patrols in hotspot counties and inclusive dialogues that offer local commanders a stake in future structures.
With elections penciled for late 2024, the window for decisive action is narrowing. Yei’s skirmish signals urgency but not inevitability of collapse, provided leaders move quickly.
Outlook for Peace
Observers contend that credible cease-fire monitoring and community reconciliation could transform the Yei incident into a catalyst for deeper commitment rather than a return to war.
Ultimately, sustaining South Sudan’s transition hinges on trust built in remote counties like Yei, far from negotiating tables but central to the nation’s fragile hope.