Deadly fighting erupts between rival factions of Riek Machar party

Riek Machar

This file photo taken on January 26, 2016 shows South Sudan politician Riek Machar during a press conference in Kampala, Uganda.

Photo credit: Isaac Kasamani | AFP

Deadly fighting erupted Saturday between rival factions of South Sudanese Vice President Riek Machar's SPLA-IO after his foes in the party said they had ousted him as leader, the latest twist in the nation's troubled decade of independence.

At least 30 people were killed in the clashes in White Nile State that borders Sudan, Machar's military spokesman said in a statement, claims that could not be immediately confirmed.

Armed forces led by a rival general in the party, Simon Gatwech Dual, launched an attack on Machar's men, who had "repulsed the aggressors", SPLA-IO spokesperson, Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel, said.

Machar's SPLA-IO forces killed two major-generals and over 27 "enemy" soldiers, Col Gabriel said, adding they lost three men.

Dual is the general named as interim SPLA-IO chief.

There was no immediate response to requests for comment from his side, but his deputy spokesman Chuol Deng told South Sudanese station Radio Tamazuj that Machar's forces had instigated the attack.

"We have captured some vehicles from the attackers. We have so far lost one soldier and two others sustained injuries," Deng said.

Many casualties

In a statement, however, Col Gabriel said Gen Dual’s “anti-peace” forces moved out of their trenches in Magenis at about 6.30am and launched aggressive attacks against them in Gezan.

“The SPLA-IO forces responded in self-defence and repulsed the aggressors back to Magenis, killing two major-generals and over 27 enemy soldiers,” he said.

He added that the SPLA-IO destroyed equipment including one armored personnel carrier and a ZU-23 autocannon, and captured one Ural mounted with a ZU-23 and more than 20 AK 47 rifles.

He said Gen Dual’s forces destroyed one 107mm rocket launcher while one T55 tank developed a mechanical problem.

“Three freedom fighters were killed in action while 13 others sustained gunshot wounds,” Col Gabriel said.

He added: “The SPLA-IO is aware that Gen Dual and Lt Gen Johnson Ulony were evacuated to Sudan. The SPLA-IO leadership requests the Sudan government to maintain its neutrality by keeping the two in Sudan and not allowing them to come back and cause more insecurity in the area.”

He also asked forces left the SPLA-IO to return to it, under Machar's leadership.

Peace deal at risk

Tensions boiled over this week in the SPLA-IO after Machar's rivals declared they had deposed him as party chairman and commander-in-chief -- a move his allies dismissed as a "failed coup", insisting he was still in full control of the party.

The fighting could put further pressure on an already fragile 2018 peace deal between Machar and his old foe, President Salva Kiir, that ended five years of brutal civil war in the world's youngest country and led to an uneasy coalition government.

The VP himself this week accused "peace spoilers" of engineering his removal.

The 68-year-old, a wily leader who survived years of bush warfare, attempts on his life and stretches in exile, served as vice president alongside Kiir in the first government post-independence from Sudan in 2011.

But the pair fell out and Machar was sacked two years later. Troops loyal to each man turned their guns on each other, and South Sudan descended into five years of civil war.

Chronic instability

Leaders of the military wing of Machar's party announced on Wednesday they had deposed the rebel-turned-politician for failing to represent their interests.

The military wing said Machar had "completely failed" to show leadership and greatly weakened the party's position in the post-war coalition government formed between the warring sides in early 2020.

The political disunity comes as South Sudan faces chronic instability, economic chaos and its worst hunger crisis since independence, with tens of thousands of people enduring famine-like conditions.

Adding to its woes, the UN said on Friday that 90,000 people had been affected by flooding in Jonglei State after torrential rains.

In 2018 -- after a string of failed peace accords and violated ceasefires -- a fresh truce paused the fighting that had left nearly 400,000 South Sudanese dead.

Under that arrangement, Machar entered another unity government as deputy to Kiir in February 2020.

But distrust lingered and cracks soon appeared, as key provisions of the peace accords went unfulfilled.

As the process drifted, Machar faced growing opposition within his own ranks, with top cadres complaining they had lost out under the power-sharing arrangement with the ruling party.

Machar has said the recent squabbles are out to derail the formation of a unified armed forces command, a key component of the peace deal.

This week, South Sudan swore in hundreds of MPs to a newly created national parliament, a key condition of the truce but almost a year behind schedule.