A street in Tambura County, Western Equatoria State [Photo credit: The New Humanitarian]

Tambura County Commissiner has reported that 17 people, including three civilians, were killed early this week following internal clashes among SPLA-IO forces over whether to join the unity government.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Eye Radio on Thursday, Commissioner Mathew Mabenge said the fighting took place in the Zangia and Sinakpuro areas of Tambura.

Mabenge said that the fighting erupted when a delegation from Juba arrived to receive SPLA-IO members who had expressed willingness to surrender to the government.

According to him, among the dead were 12 SPLA-IO fighters, two government soldiers, and three civilians.

“The forces loyal to former governor Alfred Futuyo began looting, shooting, and committing acts of violence. To contain the situation, I ordered our forces to intervene. In the resulting exchange of fire, 12 SPLA-IO soldiers, two government soldiers, and three civilians were killed. Most of the IO loyalists were displaced to Duma,” he said.

He added that while organized forces have managed to regain control of the situation although the violence has further worsened the humanitarian crisis.

He said that thousands of residents have fled their homes Duma area—located about 17 miles along the Tambura–Wau road, due to ongoing insecurity.

The Tambura violence erupted in 2021 and left an estimated 440 civilians dead and displaced thousands according to the United Nations and human rights investigators.

Those earlier incidents were largely linked to ethnic conflict between the native communities, rather than disputes over political integration.