Jonglei clashes (2025–present)

Overview

Beginning in December 2025, and intensifying in 2026, clashes began between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) and South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) within Jonglei State, South Sudan. The SPLA-IO launched an offensive in late December to capture several government strongholds within the majority Nuer Jonglei State in response to the continued imprisonment and treason trial of their leader Riek Machar after the 2025 Nasir clashes. On 25 January 2026, the SSPDF announced the launch of Operation Enduring Peace to retake territory from the SPLA-IO.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Jonglei clashes, beginning in late December 2025, marked a significant resumption of armed conflict between the SPLA-IO and SSPDF within Jonglei State, a predominantly Nuer region of South Sudan. The SPLA-IO offensive was launched in direct response to the continued imprisonment and treason trial of their leader Riek Machar following the 2025 Nasir clashes, signaling that political grievances had again crossed into open military confrontation. The fighting represented a breakdown of the fragile arrangements underpinning the post-civil war settlement, with the opposition seeking to leverage its presence in Jonglei State to press for Machar's release. The SSPDF's announcement of Operation Enduring Peace on 25 January 2026 indicated that the government regarded the territorial losses as serious enough to require a named counteroffensive, suggesting the SPLA-IO had made meaningful initial gains against government strongholds in the state.

Commanders (7)