By Matik Kueth
The Commissioner of Nasir County, Upper Nile State, James Gatluak Lew, has directed the Payam chiefs in Nasir to register the number of armed youth (White Army) killed during the clashes with the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) at the Wech-Yar-Adiu military barrack.
In an interview with King Media on Tuesday, Lew revealed that he has not yet obtained an exact number of the armed youths who died during the clashes.
“Up to now, I haven’t got any clear details about the number of the deaths, especially from the two sides. So, what I did, I requested the head chiefs, all the head chiefs to register the dead people and the wounded people to share with me. This is where I will know the exact number of the deaths, the death toll, and the wounded people, the casualties. I’m still working on it,” said Lew.
He stated that the situation in Nasir has calmed since no SSPDF soldiers are now present in the town.
Lew lamented that the area is currently facing a major challenge in the midst of a widespread outbreak of cholera.
“The calm has returned; the calm has returned. The only challenges that we are facing at the moment is the cholera outbreaks that claim the lives of many people, especially the people that were displaced from here, where they don’t have any access to clean and safe drinking water,” he explained.
He further noted that the incidence of cholera illnesses is increasing, particularly in cattle camps, where there are few treatment services.
“The death toll, especially from cholera cases, is increasing daily. And there’s also, we also experience a significant upsurge of morbidities and cholera cases. Although it was not all locations, it was only specific locations where we have facilities. But the rest of the area, like the cattle camp, where people were displaced, and other areas were not captured in the listing,” he stressed.
On March 3, 2025, clashes erupted in Nasir town between the SSPDF and the local armed youth, known as the White Army, leading to the SSPDF’s evacuation of the town and the arrest of several SPLM-IO politicians.
Nasir is located on the Sobat River in Upper Nile State, 26 km from the Ethiopian border. The town was a stronghold of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) during the Civil War. It was largely devastated when captured by government forces in May 2014 but was retaken by SPLA-IO forces in July 2014.
Even after the signing of the R-ARCSS—the agreement that ended the civil war—in 2018, tensions in Nasir have remained high.
The Genesis of Nasir’s Conflict
On February 10-11, 2024, clashes broke out between the White Army and the SSPDF following a dispute involving fishing nets, resulting in several deaths.
The White Army protested the presence of the SSPDF in the town, demanding that the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) be deployed to replace the soldiers, who are viewed as partisan.
Conflict
Clashes resumed between the White Army and the SSPDF on February 14th -15th, 2025, resulting in the deaths of four SSPDF soldiers when the White Army attacked a group collecting firewood; at least 10 civilians were injured in the subsequent shelling.
Conflict escalated on the afternoon of Monday, March 3rd, when a White Army member was killed by the SSPDF, igniting clashes that persisted until the evening of March 4th.
On March 5th, 2025, White Army members attacked and captured the Wech-Yar-Adiu military barrack, besieging SSPDF commander Maj. Gen. Majur in an armored vehicle.
The SPLM-IO intervened, urging the White Army to allow for the airlift of the besieged SSPDF general and his men using a UNMISS helicopter. However, the evacuation was delayed until Friday, March 7, with the SSPDF soldiers taking refuge in armed vehicles.
On that same Friday, a UNMISS helicopter finally arrived in Nasir, but an exchange of fire with the White Army resulted in the death of SSPDF General Maj. Gen. Majur Dak, as well as the deaths of 27 soldiers and one of the UNMISS helicopter operators.
Political ramifications
In the aftermath of these clashes, several politicians associated with the SPLA-IO were arrested on March 4. Among those arrested were Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, the chief of staff for the SPLA-IO, on unspecified charges, and Puot Kang Chol, the minister of petroleum, around midnight on March 5 in Juba.
On March 6th, SSPDF soldiers surrounded the home of First Vice President Riek Machar and arrested the minister of peace building, Stephen Phar Kuol. He was released the following morning, March 7.
The government arrested top SPLM-IO officials in Juba, claiming that the conflict in Nasir was not a spontaneous uprising but rather a coordinated effort led by SPLA-IO forces chanting their faction’s slogan (SPLA-IO Viva), as seen in videos circulating on social media, according to Michael Makuei, the government spokesperson.
He pointed out that Lam, Kang, and other SPLM-IO officials were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the continuing battle between armed youth and the SSPDF in Nasir and Ulang counties.
Last week [Friday], the information minister revealed that 27 SSPDF soldiers, including Gen. Majur Dak, were killed at the Nasir airstrip, as well as four soldiers killed at the onset of the clashes on February 14, bringing the total number of soldiers killed by the white army to 31, though sources claim the figure is higher due to inaccurate information provided by local authorities and the government.