JUBA, South Sudan — The government of South Sudan confirmed late Monday that a government-appointed county commissioner serving in an opposition stronghold within the oil-rich Jonglei State was “assassinated” by opposition forces, marking a dangerous escalation in renewed fighting across the region.
The violence in Jonglei has been intensifying over recent days, with the full number of casualties still unknown. The strategically important county of Akobo has become a flashpoint, with both the government and the opposition having appointed their own rival county commissioners to the area.
James Kueth Makuach, who held the government-appointed commissioner role, was killed on Sunday when opposition fighters launched an attack on Walgak, a remote location in Akobo West. Officials from both sides confirmed the details of the assault.
Makuach had switched allegiance to President Salva Kiir’s ruling party in April, following his removal by the opposition’s acting leadership earlier in the year. The government subsequently named him county commissioner, a move that bypassed the terms of a 2018 peace agreement, which designated that position in Akobo County to the opposition party led by Riek Machar. Machar is currently imprisoned and faces treason charges.
In a formal statement, the ruling party said it “strongly condemns the brutal killing” of the commissioner and announced it would convene an emergency session to address the matter.
The opposition-appointed governor, John Wiyual Lul, stated that opposition fighters briefly took control of the area before pulling back when government reinforcements arrived. He noted that senior military officers were among the fatalities.
Jonglei State government spokesperson Nyamar Lony Thichiot told The Associated Press late Monday that the exact number of casualties had not yet been determined.
The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, which was established to oversee South Sudan’s peace process, issued a statement Monday warning that the renewed fighting is undermining the implementation of the 2018 peace deal that ended the country’s civil war and is putting civilian lives at risk.
Clashes in Akobo County first broke out in March when opposition forces targeted a government installation. In June, the United Nations pulled its peacekeepers from a base that had been set up to help shield civilians from harm.
Leaders from civil society groups cautioned that political tensions are increasingly translating into armed conflict once again.
Juba-based civil society activist Bol Deng Bol described the situation as “an unfortunate relapse into violence and a clear threat to civilians, their property and humanitarian operations.” Fellow activist Edmond Yakani called on both the opposition and the government to fully honor the permanent ceasefire agreement.
South Sudan is set to hold long-delayed elections on December 22 — its first since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011.
