Anticipating clash with armed youths, SPLM-IO soldiers flee cantonment

By Chondok Stephen Magei

Opposition forces of the SPLM-IO cantoned in South Sudan’s Unity State have fled their site, a day after clashes with armed youths.

An officer with the group, Maj Yor Yang said intelligence network cited the armed youths from Koch County crossing Ngony swamp in large numbers, believed to be planning to attack their base at Mirmir cantonment site again.

“They are coming into three directions Ngony, Padiar and Koat Payam but we will response in self-defense,” Yang told Juba Echo by phone on Friday.

According to a leader of the armed youths, Chuol Giel Yoach, they have taken over the Mirmir cantonment site.

 “We are in full control of Mirmir SPLM-IO cantonment, and we are advancing to Bieh Boma of Mirmir Payam south of Mirmir Payam,” Yoach told Juba Echo by phone.

“We found the area empty; they evacuated the cantonment, and they are now in Lual Payam under Leer County,” he said.

On Thursday, fighting between the two groups led to the death of two people and five others were injured.

The clash was the third between them this year.