South Sudan’s army said Tuesday it has captured the strategic town of Tonga in Upper Nile state from opposition SPLA-IO forces following several days of clashes.
The South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) said it took control of the town from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO), which had held the area for several months. Tonga is the headquarters of Panyikang County and has long been a flashpoint between the two sides, despite the signing of a 2018 peace deal.
Fighting over the weekend between the two rival factions resulted in the government’s control of the town, according to SSPDF commanders. Local sources told Radio Tamazuj that the SSPDF used a barge and carried out airstrikes during the offensive. Some commanders from the White Army militia cited a lack of ammunition as a reason for withdrawing from Tonga.
Gen. Kong Thou, the SSPDF’s deputy chief of defense forces for operations, visited Tonga on Tuesday to inspect the area and urge residents who had fled the fighting to return.
“We want the citizens to come back, but without guns,” he said. “We have not started collecting weapons yet, but if you’re returning, please leave your gun somewhere.”
Maj. Gen. Michael Majok, commander of SSPDF Division Two, welcomed the recapture of Tonga and congratulated residents of Panyikang County. He said the army was working to restore peace and security in the region.
“This is your army controlling the area. The forces have been working tirelessly to ensure your safety,” he said.
Panyikang field commander Maj. Gen. Paromi Angui said the military aims to reopen critical routes for river and land transport, including roads to El Liri in Sudan’s South Kordofan and the capital, Juba.
“From today onward, the routes will open,” he said. “We’re here to secure the area and ensure access to transportation.”
The SPLA-IO could not immediately be reached for comment. However, in a statement released on Tuesday evening, SPLA-IO spokesman Col. Lam Paul Gabriel said its 7th Infantry Division had successfully repelled a joint offensive by the SSPDF and Agwelek militia in Tonga on Saturday.
“The regime forces were defeated and pushed back with heavy losses,” Gabriel claimed.
The two sides are signatories to the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), which aimed to end a five-year civil war that killed an estimated 400,000 people. However, key provisions of the deal—including the unification of forces, drafting of a permanent constitution, and holding of national elections—remain largely unimplemented.
President Salva Kiir, First Vice President and SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar—who is currently in detention—and other political leaders signed the fragile agreement.
The United Nations has warned that the country risks sliding back into widespread conflict. The United States and other Western embassies have repeatedly urged Kiir’s administration to de-escalate tensions.