Clashes have erupted in Wunkur, a town in Ruweng Administrative Area along South Sudan's border with Sudan's South Kordofan state. The Sudan People's Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) and the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) have given conflicting accounts of the fighting. According to the SPLA-IO, government troops and Agwelek forces launched an attack on their base at Paleny on October 3, 2026.
The SPLA-IO claims it repelled the attack and pursued the attackers towards Wunkur, capturing the town at 5:15 a.m. on October 4, 2026. The opposition also accused Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of reinforcing government troops during the clashes. The RSF's involvement has not been independently verified. The SPLA-IO reported killing 57 government and Agwelek fighters and seizing 63 weapons.
However, the SSPDF has denied the opposition's claims, stating that government troops repelled a series of attacks on their position at Wunkur. According to SSPDF spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai Koang, the opposition launched sequenced attacks, but all were repelled, with 13 attackers eliminated and one captured. The army recovered a PKM machine gun, an RPG-7 grenade launcher, and two assault rifles.
The SSPDF did not disclose casualties among its own troops, but reported that the captured opposition fighter was wounded and would receive medical treatment in Juba. Control of Wunkur remains unclear, with both sides claiming victory. The clashes in Wunkur are part of a larger pattern of violence in the region, with repeated confrontations between government and opposition forces.
Wunkur has changed hands several times in recent months, with the SPLA-IO capturing the town on April 19, 2026, and government troops recapturing it the following day. Earlier clashes on December 3, 2025, resulted in 12 deaths, according to figures provided by Ruweng's information minister. The minister reported that nine opposition fighters and three government soldiers were killed, while four government soldiers were wounded.
The SPLA-IO has condemned the alleged RSF intervention in the clashes, calling on regional and international actors to take note of the Sudanese paramilitary group's presence on South Sudanese territory. The opposition's acting spokesman, Lt. Col. Chuol Puot Dual Diu, signed the statement, which described the RSF's involvement as a serious escalation.
The conflicting claims from the two sides highlight the ongoing tensions and instability in the region. The clashes in Wunkur have resulted in significant human costs, with reported casualties and damage to infrastructure.
Key points
- The Sudan People's Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) and the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) have given conflicting accounts of the fighting in Wunkur.
- The clashes in Wunkur are part of a larger pattern of violence in the region, with repeated confrontations between government and opposition forces.
- The alleged involvement of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the clashes has been condemned by the SPLA-IO.
