The South Sudan army (SSPDF) on Tuesday said it had contained the situation in Pochalla South
County following two days of clashes with armed Anyuak youth since Sunday.
SSPDF spokesperson Maj.Gen Lul Ruai Koang, said the conflict erupted on Sunday evening when
the army had pursued a rogue officer who had escaped from detention after being charged for
the crime of selling ammunition and guns to civilians.
He said the escapee had gone into hiding under protection of his former commander Col.
Okony Okwom Othow, who had himself absconded from duty in May after refusing orders from
his superiors deploying him to another station.
“Whenever a soldier commits a crime or disobeys lawful orders he would go and report to
Okwom, so on Sunday there was a soldier that sold ammunition and guns and was arrested,
that soldier escaped from prison and reported to his area,” Koang said in an interview on
Tuesday in Juba.
He disclosed that clashes erupted on Sunday evening till Monday when soldiers were
dispatched to re-arrest their colleague who had escaped from detention.
“They (SSPDF) were attacked by armed Anyuak youth supporting the former commander so the
commander was killed and then that angered the armed youth. On Monday morning at around
5 A.M they (youth) came in large numbers and attacked our position but they were repelled,”
Koang said.
In June, the same armed Anyauk youth killed Samuel Ojulu Ochalla the former Commissioner of
Pochalla County after they rejected his appointment.
Koang said that the conflict between the army and the youth has been brewing since May,
adding that the former area commander Okwom has been mobilizing and inciting youth to
attack the army.
