Calm has returned to parts of Uror County in South Sudan’s Jonglei State after clashes between rival factions and airstrikes by government forces on Monday afternoon, local officials said.
The fighting erupted early on Monday in Pieri town between rival SPLA-IO groups reportedly over control of a military tank, leaving one soldier dead and two others wounded, according to county authorities.
Later in the day, a helicopter gunship of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) carried out airstrikes in the area, which the authorities said were intended to de-escalate tensions. It was not immediately clear why government forces intervened, as the clashes were reportedly between SPLA-IO factions in Pieri.
Some residents accuse the SSPDF in Juba of trying cause fighting in area for intervening by aerial bombardment although the fighting is between the SPLA-IO and SPLA-IO Kitgwang factions.
Some residents accused the SSPDF of provoking further violence by conducting aerial bombardments even though the fighting was between the SPLA-IO and SPLA-IO Kitgwang factions.
Residents fled their homes in Pieri and nearby Motot towns as the fighting spread, witnesses said.
James Gakhor Gatluak, the Uror County commissioner, told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday morning that relative calm had been restored following the intervention of traditional leaders.
“At 2 p.m. on Monday, an aircraft fired some warning shots around Pieri, resulting in no injuries or deaths,” Gatluak said. “Some people fled the area while others remained, but this morning the situation is calm.”
He said fighting later broke out in Motot when members of the Chie-Nyak community clashed with SPLA-IO forces under Oyet Nathaniel, allegedly in revenge for a man killed earlier in the day.
“The fighting in Motot was heavy and caused more displacement,” Gatluak said. “We are working to resolve the issue peacefully because we do not want further displacement. Our delegations are on the way to Pieri and Motot to restore peace and stability, and we hope flights and aid operations will resume soon.”
Gatluak Reat, a lawmaker representing Uror County in the Jonglei State Legislative Assembly, also confirmed to Radio Tamazuj that the situation was calm as of Tuesday morning.
“Last night, there was fighting in Motot, further displacing those who had fled the airstrikes,” Reat said. “The airstrikes were carried out on Monday afternoon targeting the earlier fighting scene, but no one was killed or injured. We are still gathering more details.”
Civil society activist Ter Manyang Gatwech, executive director of the Center for Peace and Advocacy, condemned the renewed violence on Monday, saying it tarnishes South Sudan’s international image and urged dialogue to resolve internal differences.
“I recently returned from abroad, and our image as a country is not good because of what is happening,” he said. “As civil society, I appeal for dialogue because it is the only way forward.”