The South Sudanese army on Tuesday ordered civilians to evacuate areas controlled by opposition forces in Jonglei State, eastern South Sudan, to prevent their use as “human shields” amid escalating clashes between the two sides.
In a statement, South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) spokesperson, Colonel Lul Ruai Koang, said that civilians should leave areas near military barracks, assembly points, and troop gathering locations.
“The following orders aim to avoid and minimize collateral damage during phases of the ongoing military operations,” the statement read.
The evacuation order covers three counties — Nyirol, Uror, and Akobo — all located in Jonglei State.
The directive came a day after an airstrike hit a market in Nyirol County, killing 26 civilians and injuring 30 others, according to local media reports.
Fighting between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces and the opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA-IO) has intensified since December 24, after SPLA-IO forces captured a military outpost in the town of Waat, Jonglei State.
The renewed clashes come amid the gradual collapse of a fragile power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar, sparking fears of a return to civil war.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 but soon descended into a five-year civil war. A 2018 peace deal ended the fighting, but leaders have repeatedly failed to hold elections or unify their armed forces.
Source: Sputnik
