Fighting between forces loyal to rival acting chairpersons of the opposition SPLM-IO erupted in Rupkong and Bow payams in Leer County, Unity State, the birthplace of SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar, with clashes continuing on Wednesday, local military officials said.
The clashes involved forces aligned with Regina Joseph and Oyet Nathaniel, both of whom identify themselves as the movement’s acting chairpersons.
James Yoach Bading, the military commissioner of Leer County aligned with Oyet, accused forces aligned with Joseph of attacking his faction’s position in Rupkong, saying his fighters had been defending themselves since Tuesday.
“The group of Regina Joseph attacked our position in Rupkong, but we have been defending ourselves since yesterday,” Bading told Radio Tamazuj.
Bading said the fighting had killed 14 people from the two sides, including four from his faction and 10 from the opposing group. He added that eight people had been injured and transferred to Leer County Hospital for treatment.
Dhoal Koryom Lingling, the SPLM-IO military governor aligned with Joseph, confirmed that clashes had broken out between the rival factions, describing the fighting as an internal conflict involving supporters of Nathaniel and Joseph.
Koryom said his side had recorded three injuries and no deaths, adding that further details of the clashes were still being collected as fighting continued on Wednesday morning.
The casualty figures provided by the two officials could not be independently verified.
The fighting comes amid a deepening leadership crisis within the SPLM-IO following the detention of its leader, Riek Machar, in March 2025. The dispute intensified in August 2026, when acting chairman Oyet Nathaniel Pierino suspended interim Secretary-General Regina Joseph and other senior officials.
Joseph rejected the move and issued a counter-order suspending Oyet, with both sides claiming authority under the movement’s internal rules.
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