Fresh Violence Looms Over Northern Jonglei
Fresh clashes between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) and the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) have reignited fears in Northern Jonglei. The opposition group has issued rare public safety alerts aimed at shielding civilians and aid workers from spiralling violence.
Opposition Outlines Safety Measures
A 27 December 2025 statement by SPLM-IO spokesperson Pal Mai Deng framed current operations as “genocide stoppage, self-defence and R-ARCSS peacekeeping”. He urged inhabitants near SSPDF barracks or artillery zones to leave immediately, or, failing that, to remain indoors and avoid clothing resembling government uniforms.
The opposition temporarily labelled Pieri, Motot and Paluony as secure havens while awaiting green light for Pathai. Civilians were cautioned against any participation in ongoing confrontations that, according to SPLM-IO, include “mercenary” elements alongside regular SSPDF troops.
Call for Humanitarian Intervention
SPLM-IO simultaneously appealed to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to mobilise rapid assistance and promised the International Committee of the Red Cross unfettered access to prisoners of war held in Waat, a gesture designed to project compliance with international norms.
Christmas-Eve Offensive at Waat
The warnings followed a Christmas-eve announcement in which SPLA-IO’s Division 8 claimed to have overrun an SSPDF base at Waat after a dawn assault, seizing heavy machine guns, mortars, armoured carriers and several pickup trucks (Sudans Post). Independent confirmation remains elusive amid restricted movement.
Human Cost and Peace Deal Pressures
Jonglei has witnessed repeated flare-ups despite the 2018 Revitalised Agreement. Renewed hostilities could deepen displacement, hamper cultivation and shrink humanitarian corridors in a state already classified by aid agencies as critically food-insecure. Local leaders now face the dual challenge of security restoration and service delivery.
Observers note that confidence-building, rather than battlefield gains, will ultimately determine the trajectory of peace in South Sudan’s most volatile province. For now, the SPLM-IO alert underscores a stark reality: civilians remain on the frontline of a conflict they did not choose.