Geographic location of Kajo-keji County

At least two civilians were reportedly been shot dead in a crossfire as SSPDF and NAS forces clashed in Kajo-Keji County, Central Equatoria State, on Saturday.

The two young men only identified as Lokujo and Mawa in their twenties were killed in Kagiri village.

They had reportedly gathered at a center in the village where a group of NAS forces was spotted.

The press secretary in the office of the commissioner said the SSPDF then besieged the village, leading to the death of the two men.

“The civilians were within the center and the NAS forces were also spotted within the same area where the civilians had been enjoying their weekend,” Wani Charles told Eye Radio on Monday.

“And unfortunately, after some time, the SSPDF arrived and they were caught in the crossfire.”

The SSPDF also reportedly arrested two of the opposition force officers, who are currently under detention in Kajo-Keji County.

Both the armed opposition faction and the army are yet to comment on the allegations.

NAS, the force opposed to the Juba government is a member of the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance—SSOMA.

The coalition signed a ceasefire with the government in 2020.

The Saint-Egidio-led mediation is aimed at supporting an inclusive peace agreement in South Sudan by persuading the hold-out groups to join the revitalized peace deal signed in September 2018.

The political dialogue seeks to address what the opposition groups called “the root causes of the conflict in South Sudan” and facilitate further reconciliation and stability.