Security Deployment Along the White Nile
Jonglei State has rushed troops, police, and intelligence officers to seven contested fishing islands on the White Nile, hoping to cool communal tempers that have simmered since 2023. The operation follows fresh tension between Hol and Ayual youth over Biothagany’s lucrative waters.
Information Minister Nyamar Lony Thichot Ngundeng confirmed the deployment on 8 October after the Chief of Defence Forces, General Paul Nang, ordered all armed groups to leave Biothagany within 48 hours last month.
Top Commanders Lead Coordinated Operation
Joint units of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, National Security Service, and National Police will garrison Biothagany, Lang, Paluat, Panom, Kwai, Sedaf, and Dong, locations that mark the fault line separating Twic East and Duk counties.
Deputy army chief for operations, Gen. Koang Thou Koang, saw the convoy off alongside senior police and security commanders, underscoring what he called “a whole-of-government approach to peace enforcement” (field briefing).
Economic Stakes Drive Long-Running Dispute
General Nang’s directive came after a fact-finding visit to Bor, where elders accused rival fishermen of erecting illegal shelters and levying taxes on the riverbank. Officials believe competition over Nile perch and bream has amplified historical grievances.
Special Court and Community Support Measures
Chief Justice Benjamin Baak Deng has created a special court to prosecute suspects from both communities, a measure advocates say could deter revenge raids if verdicts are swift and impartial (judiciary communiqué).
Minister Nyamar urged county commissioners and traditional chiefs to provide lodging, intelligence, and mediation support to the newly arrived forces. “Security alone cannot end this feud; we need community dialogue,” she told reporters in Bor.
Observers Urge Sustainable Livelihoods
Civil-society monitors welcome the deployment but caution that fishing-season income must be diversified to prevent future flare-ups. For now, the roar of military engines on the riverbanks substitutes for the usual crackle of gunfire.