The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) has issued a warning urging civilians to keep their distance from military barracks and installations, following its declaration of war against the Juba government.

In a press statement, the SPLM-IO Acting Chief of General Staff, Lt-Gen Peter Thok Chuol, outlined safety measures for civilians, calling on them to avoid villages and areas close to military positions. He stressed the need for vigilance and urged civilians not to become victims of the escalating conflict.

Lt-Gen Thok further advised civilians to remain calm and observe ongoing confrontations from a safe distance, warning against travelling with military convoys. He also directed humanitarian organisations to notify authorities before entering areas under SPLM-IO control. In the same statement, he appealed to what he described as “patriotic” soldiers within the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) to lay down their arms, join the SPLM-IO, or return home.

The SPLM-IO has meanwhile called on all armed groups in South Sudan to join what it describes as a fight against the government of President Salva Kiir. Lt-Gen Thok said directives had been issued to all SPLM-IO forces to remain on high alert and respond immediately if ordered. The movement has also claimed to have captured several SSPDF bases in Unity State. Eyewitnesses told this outlet that opposition forces overran government positions, although fighting is reportedly continuing as SSPDF units attempt to resist.

South Sudan was engulfed in a brutal civil war from 2013 to 2020 between government forces and opposition troops loyal to Riek Machar. Although a transitional unity government was later formed, tensions have persisted. President Kiir has accused Machar and his allies of attempting a coup, an allegation Machar has consistently denied.

The conflict has been marked by repeated ceasefire attempts and peace negotiations mediated by regional and international bodies, including IGAD, the African Union, the United States, and the European Union. While a peace agreement signed in August 2015 briefly returned Machar to Juba as vice president, renewed fighting in the capital in 2016 reignited the war and fractured the opposition, deepening South Sudan’s ongoing instability.