LEER—At least 29 soldiers are now reported dead and eight others injured following intense fighting between rival Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) factions around Adok Port in Leer County, Unity State, a local opposition official said.
James Yoach Bading, the SPLM-IO commissioner of Leer County, aligned with Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, told Sudans Post on Thursday, October 15, 2026, that the death toll had climbed to 29 from the previously reported 10.
“Twenty-nine people are confirmed dead following the violent clashes between the group of Regina Joseph and Oyet Nathaniel, acting chairman of the SPLM-IO,” Bading said.
He said the eight wounded fighters from both sides have been transported to Leer County Hospital for medical treatment.
The infighting across Rupkong and Bow payams of Leer County from October 13 to 14 involved forces loyal to rival opposition leaders Oyet Nathaniel Pierino and Regina Joseph Kaba, both of whom claim to be the legitimate acting chairperson of the SPLM/A-IO.
Bading claimed that Oyet’s faction had captured Adok Port on Wednesday afternoon after defeating Kaba’s forces, which he claimed were forced to retreat toward the Nile River.
Bading reiterated that their faction is loyal to former First Vice President Riek Machar Teny, the longtime leader of the SPLM-IO, and recognized Oyet as the movement’s acting chairman during Machar’s ongoing detention.
“We are the real SPLM-IO loyal to former First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, who is the chairman of the SPLM-IO,” he said, warning that his forces would firmly oppose those who reject Oyet’s leadership.
The casualty figures could not be independently verified.
Meanwhile, Dhoal Koryom Lingling, an SPLM-IO military official aligned with Kaba, confirmed to Sudans Post on Thursday that fighting between forces loyal to Oyet and those loyal to Kaba was ongoing, though he did not provide more details on the death toll.
The clashes around Adok Port are part of a broader power struggle within the SPLM-IO following Machar’s detention in March 2025.
Violence first erupted around the river port, approximately 20 kilometers southeast of Leer town, where forces loyal to Oyet seized control 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. His detention has left the opposition movement struggling 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 across 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 escalation has raised serious concerns regarding civilian safety in southern Unity, a region that has experienced repeated cycles of violence and displacement since South Sudan’s civil war began in December 2013.
In response to the fighting, the Dok Community Association in Uganda has urged the rival factions to immediately cease hostilities and resolve their differences through dialogue.
The association expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and the displacement of vulnerable civilians, including children, urging all parties to exercise restraint.
“Under no circumstances can a war that turns a community against itself be justified,” said Salam Koang Biel Kueth, chairperson of the association. “There is no victory when one side prevails in battle at the cost of the lives of its own people.”
The association also called on intellectuals, elders, and traditional chiefs in Leer to actively engage the rival factions and facilitate peaceful dialogue to prevent further bloodshed.