South Sudan Army Reclaims Strategic Town Amid Political Crisis

South Sudan’s military has recaptured the strategically important town of Nasir in Upper Nile state from an ethnic Nuer militia known as the White Army,marking a significant development in the country’s escalating political crisis.

The town,which fell to militia forces in March,was recovered on Sunday without direct combat,according to military spokesperson Lul Ruai Koang. The operation comes amid heightened tensions following the house arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar,who has been accused of attempting to incite rebellion through alleged support for the White Army.

“We were just taking a tactical withdrawal,” said Honson Chuol James,spokesperson for the White Army,while claiming that 17 people were killed during heavy bombardment of nearby Thuluc village. Military officials countered that air support helped their forces avoid an ambush in Thuluc.

“They were spotted when they were grouping,and they were fired on,and then they dispersed,” Koang stated.

The political situation has deteriorated since Machar’s detention,with his Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) party showing signs of fragmenting. One faction recently declared a temporary replacement for Machar as party chairman,though the armed wing professes continued loyalty to the detained leader.

President Salva Kiir and Machar have governed in an uneasy power-sharing arrangement since a 2018 peace deal ended a brutal civil war that killed hundreds of thousands. Their fragile coalition now appears at risk of collapse,raising international concerns about renewed ethnic conflict.

Regional powers have intervened,with Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni visiting Kiir after deploying troops to secure the capital Juba. Uganda’s military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba,Museveni’s son,claims his forces have killed 1,500 White Army fighters,who previously fought alongside Machar during the civil war.

The recapture of Nasir represents a military victory for Kiir’s government but does little to resolve the underlying political crisis that threatens to plunge South Sudan back into widespread conflict.