An army spokesperson claims the clash between soldiers and an ex-spy chief’s security guards was triggered by a “misunderstanding”
Fighting broke out in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, on Thursday night, between the army and guards of the African state’s former head of the National Security Service (NSS) who was fired last month, multiple outlets have reported.
According to Reuters, heavy gunfire erupted around 7pm local time and lasted for over an hour. The news agency cited a United Nations safety alert to Juba staff members, linking the incident to the arrest of Akol Koor Kuc, the sacked intelligence chief.
Local witnesses told the Associated Press (AP) that soldiers exchanged fire with Gen. Koor’s security guards at his Thongpiny neighborhood home for about an hour.
Lul Ruai Koang, spokesperson for the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), confirmed the clash to local media but claimed the soldiers had been deployed there for extra security.
“There was a misunderstanding between the two forces, and we are not sure what exactly happened. This misunderstanding degenerated into gunfire, and two servicemen were injured,” he told the Sudans Post newspaper.
Ruai said an investigation would be carried out to determine the cause of the incident.
Akol Koor Kuc had led the intelligence service since the country gained independence from Sudan in 2011, but President Salva Kiir Mayardit fired him early in October. The South Sudanese leader reportedly appointed a close ally to replace Koor, who has since been under house arrest.
While the transitional government has not given a reason for the spy chief’s dismissal, analysts cited by Reuters claim that the move reflects a power struggle.
On Friday, Kiir hosted a high-level security meeting to address the tensions that led to the gunfire, during which he assured the former NSS boss and his family of their safety, local media reported.
The landlocked state has remained volatile since the end of a five-year civil war sparked by a feud between President Kiir and his former vice president, Riek Machar. The conflict claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, reduced oil production, and forced about a third of the population of 12 million to flee their homes. The warring factions reached a power-sharing agreement in August 2018, which ended the fighting.
In September, the government postponed long-delayed general elections until December 2026, citing a lack of preparedness. The vote, originally scheduled for February 2023, had been previously pushed back to December this year.
