YUAI, UROR COUNTY — The Sudan People’s Liberation Army–In Opposition (SPLA-IO) claimed on Friday it captured Yuai town in Uror County, Jonglei State, and Nadapal in Eastern Equatoria State, amid escalating military confrontations with government forces.
SPLA-IO spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel said opposition forces had overrun bases belonging to the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) in the two locations, in a brief statement on Thursday.
“The SPLA-IO announces the capture of the SSPDF base of Yuai in Jonglei State and Nadapal in Eastern Equatoria State,” the statement read, adding that further details would be provided later.
The SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang had not immediately commented on the opposition’s claims. On Wednesday, Gen. Lul issued an evacuation directive to civilians in the SPLA-IO controlled areas.
The reported fall of Yuai comes against the backdrop of intensified clashes in several parts of Jonglei, particularly in Nyirol County, where fighting has surged in recent weeks. The SPLA-IO has previously claimed to have taken control of Waat, another key town in Nyirol.
At the same time, there had been reports of heavy government aerial bombardments in parts of Lankien, in Nyirol County.
Those bombings reportedly resulted in the deaths of around 30 civilians and forced medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to evacuate vital staff, further deepening humanitarian concerns in an area already affected by displacement and limited access to aid.
Meanwhile, government-appointed Nyirol Commissioner recently declared that SSPDF forces had captured Riang Payam in Nyirol County.
The latest developments highlight the continued unraveling of South Sudan’s fragile peace process, which has been under severe strain since early this year. Deadly violence initially triggered by fighting in Nasir, Upper Nile State, quickly escalated and spread to other regions of the country, including Jonglei and Eastern Equatoria.
That escalation has had significant political consequences. Several senior officials of the SPLM/A-IO have been imprisoned in recent months, including the group’s leader and First Vice President, Riek Machar, a move that opposition figures say has effectively crippled the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.