Deadline to end rebellion issued in South Sudan
SPLA-IO rebels train at their base in Panyume near the Uganda border, South Sudan, September 22, 2018. (Sumy Sadurni/AFP)
South Sudan’s army chief has issued a seven-day deadline to soldiers to crush an eastern rebellion, which is potentially threatening the capital, Juba, according to the BBC on January 23rd.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO), has captured several locations in Jonglei state, according to a local journalist who spoke to the BBC. The latest clashes have put Jonglei’s capital, Bor, located about a two-hour drive away from Juba, at risk and raised concerns about the security of Juba, the country’s capital.
Bor is widely viewed as a strategic gateway to Juba and was the first area to be seized by opposition forces during South Sudan’s 2013-2018 civil war. Military reinforcements have since been deployed to Bor as government forces prepare for a new offensive.
Addressing troops on the front lines, Chief of Defence Forces General Paul Nang Majok issued a direct warning, giving soldiers a strict deadline to complete their mission. He ordered forces to “crush the rebellion” and regain control of territories captured by opposition fighters within seven days.
The SPLA-IO is led by suspended First Vice-President Riek Machar, who is currently on trial over charges of murder, treason and crimes against humanity, which he denies. Political analysts believe rebel threats to advance towards Juba are intended to pressure the government to drop the trial of Machar and make political concessions.
Fears are growing that the renewed fighting could reignite a full-scale civil war in the world’s youngest nation. South Sudan descended into conflict in 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused Machar of planning a coup. Although a 2018 peace agreement formally ended the conflict, which killed nearly 400,000 people, its implementation has remained incomplete. All the while, ethnic tensions and political rivalries have persisted.
Ugandan troops are also providing military support to South Sudanese forces, although the exact number of deployed soldiers has not been officially confirmed yet. Meanwhile, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan has called for an immediate ceasefire in Jonglei.
BBC, Maghrebi.org
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