The Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) and the National Salvation Front (NAS) tragically reminded the citizens that the country is still trapped in violence instead of peace.
This reminder came in the form of a joint press statement issued on August 16, 2025, detailing their coordinated assault on South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) bases in Libogo and Lasu, Yei County thus underlining the persistent volatility that continues to plague the country.
While the statement frames the operation as a “liberation” effort against what they term a “dictatorial regime,” both SPLM/A-In Government (IG) and SPLM/A-In Opposition (IO) must face the reality and focus on dialogue rather confrontations.
This war is not delivering liberation it is delivering funerals, displacement, and despair with ordinary South Sudanese, already burdened by hunger, poverty, and insecurity, being forced to once again bear the brunt of political rivalries fought with guns instead of words.
The warning for civilians to avoid military convoys is a brutal reminder of the blurred lines between combat zones and civilian life in South Sudan.
This is not just a tactical advisory it’s an admission that the highways and communities of Equatoria and other conflict areas are becoming battlegrounds.
South Sudan’s leaders must remember the promises of independence in 2011 a vision of peace, dignity, and self-rule.
That dream is slipping further away with every bullet fired. The choice before SPLM/A-IG and SPLM/A-IO is clear: return to the negotiating table, commit to dialogue, and put the nation before personal ambitions.
The people of Yei and all South Sudanese deserve more than liberation by the gun. They deserve liberation through justice, accountability, and unity.