At least 20 people have been killed in the town of Mathiang, located in South Sudan’s northeastern Upper Nile state, after fierce fighting broke out between government forces, opposition fighters, and a militia, local media reported on Tuesday, citing military officials.

Clashes erupted early Monday in Mathiang when Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) fighters and White Army militia attacked South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) positions, a senior army official told local Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday.

The fighting lasted around three hours and resulted in the deaths of four SSPDF soldiers and 16 SPLA-IO fighters, Maj. Gen. Khor Chuol Giet told the broadcaster.

“We found 16 of their bodies in trenches, but there could be more,” he added.

Tensions

South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, gained independence from Sudan in 2011 following a referendum.

However, it has remained mired in conflict since December 2013, when President Salva Kiir Mayardit dismissed and accused then-Vice President Riek Machar of plotting a coup.

Despite peace deals signed in 2018 and 2022, tensions persist.

In February, a militia group known as the White Army, largely allied to Machar, seized a town in the Upper Nile State. In response, several generals and government ministers affiliated with Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition were detained.