KAMPALA—The Dok Community Association in Uganda has appealed to rival Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) factions to immediately stop fighting in Leer County, Unity State, following clashes that left at least 10 people dead and eight others injured.
In a press statement extended to the Sudans Post, the association expressed sorrow over the loss of lives during the fighting on October 13–14, 2026, and called on the opposing forces to exercise restraint and resolve their differences through dialogue.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences and solidarity to the families who lost their loved ones in this tragedy, and we wish the injured a swift recovery,” said Salam Koang Biel Kueth, chairperson of the Dok Community Association in Uganda.
Given the fragility of the situation, Koang also urged social media users to refrain from spreading messages that could incite further violence, warning that continued fighting could deepen divisions and endanger civilians in Leer.
“Under no circumstances can a war that turns a community against itself be justified. There is no victory when one side prevails in battle at the cost of the lives of its own people.”
Koang called on intellectuals, elders, and traditional chiefs in Leer to engage the rival factions, facilitate dialogue, and prevent further bloodshed.
The community urged the parties to prioritize civilian safety and preserve peace in the community rather than pursue military solutions to their disagreements.
“We call upon the parties involved in the infighting to exercise maximum restraint and to recognize their responsibility to prevent further bloodshed among the Dok people and to safeguard peace in Leer.”
The clashes erupted on Tuesday and continued into Wednesday in Rupkong and Bow Payams of Leer County, involving forces loyal to rival opposition leaders Oyet Nathaniel Pierino and Regina Joseph Kaba, both of whom claim to be the movement’s legitimate acting chairperson.
James Yoach Bading, the military commissioner of Leer County aligned with Oyet, confirmed the casualties, saying four fighters from his faction and six from the opposing side had been killed.
He accused forces loyal to Kaba of attacking his positions in Rupkong, saying his troops had been defending themselves.
However, Dhoal Koryom Lingling, the SPLM-IO military governor aligned with Kaba’s faction, confirmed the fighting but disputed Bading’s account of the casualties.
He said his faction had recorded three wounded fighters but no fatalities, contradicting Bading’s claim that six fighters from the opposing side had been killed.
The conflicting accounts could not be independently verified, and it remained unclear whether the casualty figures covered all areas affected by the fighting.
The violence first erupted around Adok Port, approximately 20 kilometers southeast of Leer town, where forces loyal to Oyet seized control of the strategic river port on Wednesday after two days of fighting with troops aligned with Kaba.
Leer County is the home area of Riek Machar, South Sudan’s detained former first vice president and longtime SPLM-IO leader. His detention since March 2025 has left the opposition movement grappling with competing claims to its leadership.
In late August, Oyet, who had been serving as acting chairman, suspended Kaba and seven other senior officials, accusing them of misconduct and undermining the movement’s leadership structures.
Kaba rejected the decision and issued a counter-order suspending Oyet, deepening divisions among the movement’s political and military leadership.
The dispute has since extended to the SPLA-IO’s military structures, with rival commanders asserting authority over opposition forces in Unity State and other parts of the country.
The latest clashes have raised concerns about civilian safety in southern Unity, a region that has experienced repeated episodes of violence and displacement since South Sudan’s civil war began in December 2013.
Neither faction has indicated whether it intends to halt military operations, raising concerns that continued confrontations could deepen divisions within the opposition movement and further undermine security in the area.