29 SPLA-IO soldiers killed in Unity State faction clashes in South Sudan

At least 29 soldiers have been killed and eight others wounded in intense fighting between rival factions of the Sudan People's Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) around Adok Port in Leer County, Unity State, a local opposition official said. James Yoach Bading, the SPLM-IO commissioner of Leer County aligned with Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, told Sudans Post on Thursday that the death toll had risen from a previously reported 10.

The infighting across Rupkong and Bow payams from October 13 to 14 involved forces loyal to rival opposition leaders Oyet Nathaniel Pierino and Regina Joseph Kaba, both of whom claim to be the legitimate acting chairperson of the SPLM/A-IO. Bading claimed Oyet's faction captured Adok Port on Wednesday afternoon after defeating Kaba's forces, which retreated toward the Nile River. The eight wounded fighters from both sides were transported to Leer County Hospital for treatment. The casualty figures could not be independently verified.

The clashes are part of a broader power struggle within the SPLM-IO following the detention of former First Vice President Riek Machar in March 2025, which has left the opposition movement struggling with competing leadership claims. Leer County is Machar's home area. The Dok Community Association in Uganda has urged the rival factions to cease hostilities and resolve their differences through dialogue, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of life and displacement of civilians.