By Manas James Okony
A relative calm has returned to the town of Paloch in Upper Nile State, after a series of clashes on Tuesday involving members of the country’s National Security Services (NSS).
Paloch, known for its significant oil production, is a strategic town in Upper Nile State’s Melut County.
On Tuesday morning, at least four NSS officers sustained injuries during confrontations between two factions of the NSS.
The clashes reportedly began when a group of NSS officers attempted to forcibly disarm their colleagues who had marched onto the airport from their base in the Adar area, intending to be airlifted to the capital, Juba.
Such incidents are not uncommon in South Sudan, where power struggles and divisions within the military and security apparatus frequently lead to violence.
Awer Deng, the Bimuchuk Payam administrator, spoke to No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, describing the incident as isolated.
He noted that calm has since returned to the area, with normal flights operating without interruption.
“What happened at around 8 am was that there was an exchange of gunfire among NSS officers. This occurred after some soldiers stormed the airport to be forcibly airlifted to Juba,” he stated. “The situation is now calm, and the incident was just an isolated one.”
Local authorities have indicated that the incident is under investigation and that several arrests have been made concerning those involved.
“Paloch falls under Bimuchuk. Our airport remains operational. The incident was just an isolated one involving defiant and disobedient officers,” Awer added.
With Upper Nile State’s turbulent history, exacerbated by the ongoing conflicts, Tuesday’s incident adds to the already fragile state of peace in the region.