A brief clash broke out between South Sudan’s army and opposition SPLA-IO soldiers in Mayom County, Unity State, on Wednesday, days after deadly fighting in the disputed Abyei region, according to military and eyewitness accounts.
The incident occurred when a unit of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO), which had been part of an integrated VIP Protection Force, was confronted by local security forces in Kaikang village, Mayom County.
The SPLA-IO group was retreating from Abyei following clashes last week with South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) troops that left at least 14 soldiers dead.
SPLA-IO officials said a brief skirmish took place in the Kaikang area on Wednesday morning.
Kerbino Yai Pazale, the SPLA-IO spokesperson for Sector Two in Unity State, told Radio Tamazuj that government forces attacked the SPLA-IO soldiers while they were resting under trees in Kaikang after withdrawing from Abyei.
“The SPLA-IO component of the VIP Protection Force that retreated from fighting in Abyei was coming to our base in Kaljak,” Pazale said.
He said the clash lasted only a few minutes and that the retreating force did not return fire. Pazale warned that the SPLA-IO would respond if the attacks continued.
However, Unity State Information Minister Gatwech Bipal Bol denied that any fighting had taken place. He described the event as “a misunderstanding between armed youth and other armed youth,” adding there was “no information like that” regarding a clash.
An eyewitness account supported reports of a brief confrontation but agreed it did not escalate into a major firefight.
Michael Yang, a resident of Mayom, told Radio Tamazuj that local security forces in Mayom, unaware of the group’s identity, opened fire when they encountered the SPLA-IO soldiers.
“The government security personnel in Kaikang were not aware they were coming,” Yang said. “They almost exchanged fire, but fortunately the men who came from Abyei didn’t return fire. When the local forces realized who they were, they let them pass peacefully.”
Yang said the SPLA-IO group was transporting soldiers wounded in the previous Abyei clashes, and no casualties were reported in the Mayom incident. He described the situation as a “misunderstanding” and said calm had returned to the area.
The retreating SPLA-IO force was reportedly heading to the Kaljak training centre, where they are expected to be temporarily stationed.