Dawn Skirmish Rocks Lasu Payam
At 4:30am on Saturday, gunfire ripped through Lasu Payam, jolting residents awake as rival combatants clashed near two South Sudan People’s Defense Forces outposts, according to Bishop Alex Lodiong. For many, morning devotion turned instantly into a scramble for survival.
Civilians Flee Into Bush and Church
Terrified families streamed toward the Catholic mission while others vanished into dense vegetation, shepherding toddlers barely five years old, the bishop recalled. The crackle of automatic rifles echoed for four hours, leaving children disoriented and parents counting missing heads when silence finally returned.
Army Enters Sanctuary, No Casualties
Soldiers from the SSPDF eventually entered the church, fueling momentary panic until they ordered everyone to remain calm and indoors. Lodiong said no civilian casualties were reported, a rare mercy in a county where armed confrontation often spills directly onto homesteads.
Bishop’s Call for Inclusive Dialogue
During Sunday Mass, the cleric urged government troops and opposition forces—SPLM/A-IO and NAS—to swap gunfire for negotiation, insisting, “Let the guns not talk but the mouth.” His plea echoed widespread fatigue among communities still rebuilding after South Sudan’s 2018 peace deal.
Regional Focus on Protecting Civilians
Regional observers note that the Lasu incident underscores the fragility of rural security corridors across Central and East Africa. Protecting worship sites and schools remains a shared priority, one advanced through Congo-Brazzaville’s recent calls for stronger ECCAS cooperation on early-warning mechanisms.
Psychologists in Yei caution that untreated trauma among displaced children could fuel future cycles of unrest, recommending mobile counselling and quick reunification efforts to stabilize families before the farming season begins.