The main airstrip in Pochalla Town, part of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA), reopened Monday after a shooting incident disrupted operations, local officials said.
Pochalla South County Commissioner Otho Okoti told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that an armed South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) soldier, reportedly drunk, entered the airstrip and fired multiple shots while demanding evacuation to Juba.
“A soldier under the influence of alcohol broke into an armory, took a rifle, and went to the airstrip,” Okoti said. “He confronted the captain of a small aircraft, fired two rounds between his legs, and ordered the pilot to fly him to Juba.”
The pilot started the engine under duress but escaped when the soldier briefly left the plane, Okoti said.
The soldier then fired three more shots toward a World Food Program (WFP) helicopter before being disarmed by security personnel.
Okoti said the incident is under investigation, and urged calm, saying precautionary measures were in place to prevent future occurrences.
“The soldier was arrested immediately, and his case is being handled by the army,” he said. “Operations resumed normally, with security forces now in full control of the airstrip.”
Meanwhile, Col. Amati Ochan, the county police inspector in Pochalla, confirmed the arrest and said security had been reinforced.
“The law will take its course,” Ochan said. “We formed a joint operation force to secure the airstrip during takeoffs and landings. Patrols will also ensure no soldier carries a weapon without authorization.”
He described the incident as isolated and said the area was now calm.
Pochalla has seen previous unrest involving security forces.
In January, members of the National Security Service (NSS) and police fired indiscriminately into the air to protest unpaid salary arrears, subjecting the town to hours of gunfire.