Gen. Paul Nang, South Sudan Chief of Defense forces (File:Facebook)
Juba, January 24, 2026
By Savanna Radio News Desk
South Sudan’s fragile peace hangs by a thread as inflammatory tribal rhetoric from top SSPDF commanders, Chief of Defense Forces General Paul Nang and his Deputy for Disarmament, General Johnson Olony, has sparked widespread fury among Nuer communities and heightened fears of ethnic violence in Jonglei State.
In a televised address on SSBC January 21, General Nang invoked the 1991 and 2013 Bor massacres to rally Dinka support against SPLA-IO forces, accusing opposition elements of historical betrayals and urging Bor communities to mobilize tribally a move SPLA-IO branded as naked ethnic incitement. Just days later on January 23, General Olony escalated the peril with a chilling order to troops advancing on Duk County: “Spare no one, not even the elderly, a chicken, a house, or anything. We are tired of yearly problems until we’ve grown old in them.” This genocidal directive, targeting Greater Upper Nile areas with heavy Nuer presence, drew immediate SPLA-IO backlash and condemnations from groups like SSPM/A, warning of retaliatory ethnic cleansing.
These statements from SSPDF’s highest ranks betray the 2018 R-ARCSS, fueling civilian evacuations, White Army remobilization, and Pajut’s fall to SPLA-IO on January 16, putting Bor and Juba supply lines at risk. Nuer leaders and diaspora voices express betrayal, viewing the rhetoric as state-sanctioned dehumanization that echoes past atrocities and invites mass displacement.
Savanna Radio has noted widespread calls urging President Kiir to publicly address the recent statements by Generals Nang and Olony, while others urging Regional bodies IGAD, AU, and UNMISS to evaluate measures against potential incitement to violence. All South Sudanese communities are urged to prioritize national unity over division, fostering lasting stability. Stay tuned for further developments in Jonglei.
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