By Matik Kueth
At least 13 soldiers were reportedly killed and 30 others wounded in clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) in Kaljak Payam, Rubkona County, Unity State.
In an exclusive interview with King Media on Wednesday, Sacristan Zoal Wal, former spokesperson of the Joknyang Declaration Faction, said the SSPDF successfully repelled SPLA-IO forces from the Kaljak garrison on Tuesday.
He confirmed that two SSPDF soldiers were killed, while nine SPLA-IO fighters died and 30 others sustained injuries.
“Well, the fighting occurred yesterday in Kaljak Payam of Rubkona County, where the SSPDF forces launched an attack on the Kaljak military base, intense clashes were exchanged, and the SSPDF managed to defeat them,” Wal said.
Wal added that the wounded soldiers are receiving treatment in Bentiu Hospital, and that calm has returned to the area.
“Those who were wounded were taken to Bentiu Hospital for treatment, and the situation in the area is now calm. The SPLA-IO forces were scattered into the flood waters yesterday [Tuesday],” he stated.
However, when contacted by King Media, Kerbino Yai Pazale, SPLA-IO’s Deputy Spokesperson in Unity State, declined to comment on the Kaljak garrison attack.
Clashes between the SSPDF and SPLA-IO in Unity State reignited at the Nyuel-Nyuel military barracks, locally known as Barkul Jamus, on January 3rd, 2025.
The unrest also disrupted the Joint Police force stationed in the camp, a unit established in 2021 from both SSPDF and SPLA-IO personnel following the handover of the site by UNMISS.
The violence prompted SPLA-IO forces to withdraw late Sunday, reportedly to avoid confrontation among internally displaced persons (IDPs) sheltering at the camp.
The fighting raised concerns about the fragile security situation in parts of the area, highlighting persistent risks despite ongoing efforts to implement the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.