EXCLUSIVE: Deadly fighting between SSPDF and armed civilians in Tonj
Armed at a cattle camp in Tonj, South Sudan (Photo credit: unknown)
July 1, 2020 (SSNN) – A fierce fighting has erupted in South Sudan’s Greater Tonj area between the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) which is conducting forceful disarmament, and armed civilians there who have refused to surrender their guns, a senior state government official has said.
Last week, the SSPDF’s intelligence chief announced that the army was preparing to launch a disarmament campaign in Greater Tonj which he said will be following by several areas in the country where inter-communal fighting has been surging.
In a statement to South Sudan News Now, Bona Majak Biem, a government official in Warrap state, said the fighting began at dawn on Tuesday east of Tonj South County when a bunch of armed youth refused to hand over their guns to the army.
He said several people have been killed including ten SSPDF soldiers and that fighting was still ongoing. He said the army has requested reinforcement from division three in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state which is yet to arrive.
“There is fighting. It started at 5 AM today in the morning after they (youth) resisted disarmament. The fighting is still going on and there are many people who have died and among them are SSPDF solders,” he said.
“I cannot verify the number of those being killed. Maybe when the fighting stopped. The fighting is ongoing currently,” he added.
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