By Deng Ghai Deng
Maridi County Commissioner Miri Matias has refuted any reports of clashes involving the National Salvation Front (NAS) in the area.
Commissioner Matias assured the public that daily life in Maridi remains undisturbed and that there have been no instances of fighting.
“There is no any incident that has occurred here in Maridi. People are moving, I did not see any fighting,” Matias said in an interview with this publication.
The rebel group National Salvation Front (NAS) reported that the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and their allied militia have initiated planned attacks against NAS positions in Western Equatoria over the weekend.
In a Press statement dated November 3, the NAS spokesperson Suba Samuel Manse claimed that NAS forces killed seven (7) SSPDF soldiers including an unnamed commanding officer in action.
“On 2nd November 2024, in Zone-3 of NAS Army in Western Equatoria State, SSPDF attacked NAS forces South-East of Maridi. NAS forces ambushed the SSPDF and forced them to retreat to their Angabi base at the border with Central Equatoria State,” Suba said in the statement.
“NAS forces seized the opportunity of the retreating SSPDF to launch a counterattack on the Angabi base, capturing it and forcing the SSPDF to flee in disarray,” he added.
Suba said two NAS soldiers sustained injuries during the engagement adding a fire ignited in the SSPDF’s ammunition store during the skirmish, leading to secondary explosions that prompted NAS forces to withdraw to ensure safety.
In response, SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang was unavailable for comment, citing his absence from the country.