South Sudan's military retakes strategic town from White Army militia
Army spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai Koang,
President Salva Kiir has been part of a fragile power-sharing arrangement with Machar since a 2018 peace agreement ended a brutal civil war between their respective factions a conflict that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Machar's recent detention, stemming from allegations that he incited rebellion by supporting the White Army militia in Upper Nile, has sparked global concern over the potential resurgence of ethnically driven violence.
According to military and White Army spokespeople, Nasir town was recaptured on Sunday without resistance. “We were merely executing a tactical withdrawal,” said White Army spokesperson Honson Chuol James, noting that 17 people were killed during intense aerial bombardment of the nearby village of Thuluc.
Army spokesperson Lul Ruai Koang said their forces averted an ambush in Thuluc thanks to air support. “They were spotted regrouping, targeted, and subsequently scattered,” he explained.
Amid escalating tensions, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni met with Kiir earlier this month, following the deployment of Ugandan troops to secure the capital, Juba. Uganda’s military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba—Museveni’s son claimed his forces have killed 1,500 White Army fighters, who had previously aligned with Machar during the civil war.
Meanwhile, Machar’s SPLM-IO party shows signs of internal fractures. Earlier this month, one faction declared Machar temporarily replaced as party chairman, while the armed wing reaffirmed its loyalty to the detained leader.
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