By Emmanuel Mandella

The spokesperson of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO), Col. Lam Poul, has accused the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) of orchestrating unprovoked attacks and escalating tensions in Western Equatoria State, following SPLA-IO’s withdrawal from Boo Bridge.

“We moved out of Boo Bridge,” Col. Lam confirmed, referencing his public statement on Facebook. “But it is the SSPDF that needs to be told to leave Boo Bridge, not us. They attacked us in a place called Golamba, moving towards Bazia. This is what is happening, and it is causing too much tension at the moment”.

The SPLA-IO’s decision to withdraw from Boo Bridge comes amid accusations of violence between the two forces, with Col. Lam claiming that SSPDF has been aggressively pursuing offensive operations against SPLA-IO positions. He rejected allegations that SPLA-IO attacked SSPDF’s Division Six Commander, Major General James Akech, near Nagero and Tombura, labeling it as “propaganda to reinforce violence.”

“We never attacked their forces. It is them who have been on the offensive,” Col. Lam stated. “Since the crisis began in Nagero County on January 10, 2025, we have been in self-defense. These accusations are not only false but also serve to fuel tensions and distract from the real issues.”

Col. Lam also highlighted the underlying complexities of the crisis in Greater Tombura, where communal violence between the Azande and Balanda communities has exacerbated tensions.

The ongoing conflict has left devastation in its trail, including casualties, disappearance of a Catholic priest and his driver along the Tombura-Nagero road among other challenges. Local authorities from both sides have continued to trade accusations, with some attributing the crisis to the struggle between the forces.

Talking about Checkpoints and Taxation Disputes, Col. Lam also criticized SSPDF’s focus on dismantling SPLA-IO checkpoints, accusing them of using it as a pretext for war.

“We don’t collect taxes at our checkpoints. They are for security checks to monitor who is entering and exiting our territories. This does not justify killing our forces to close them down,” he said.

He called for urgent intervention by the Joint Defense Board (JDB) to resolve the matter before it spirals further. “We demand that the JDB convene immediately to address this issue.”

Speaking to The City Review on Wednesday, the SSPDF Spokesperson, Major General Lul Ruai Koang reported that forces from SPLA-IO clashed with the army during the removal of illegal checkpoints at Bou Bridge in Nagero County, which resulted in casualties.

“They attacked our position on Kubri Bou consecutively for three days, and we took casualties from the last attack crossing to Western Bahr el Ghazal. We have one casualty of a serviceman while two were wounded,” said Maj Gen Lul.

“Today, they attacked us in coalition with the operation on checkpoint. And along the SPLA-IO has several little checkpoints. So, at the first checkpoint at Kubri Bou, when we tried to dismantle, they fired on our security forces and as a result two members from the security forces were shot and wounded. We returned the fire and they fled. So, we continued with our operation of removal of checkpoints,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Nagero County, Henry Bangada Asaya, mid this week called for the immediate withdrawal of both SSPDF and SPLA-IO forces from Boo Bridge in Zomai Payam.

The Commissioner said there have been ongoing military confrontations between the two forces that have sparked mass displacement since January 6 2025.

Bangada described the area as a flashpoint of escalating tension that poses a severe threat to civilians’ safety.