Intense combat broke out on Friday morning between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and opposition forces from the SPLA-IO at a key border town close to Kenya, according to local officials and eyewitnesses.

The fighting centered on the Nadapal checkpoint in Kapoeta East County, Eastern Equatoria State. This remote but vital border crossing serves as a crucial land route connecting South Sudan to Kenya’s port city of Mombasa.

A local chief, who spoke to South Sudan local broadcaster Radio Tamazuj described how gunfire started around 5 a.m. and was at first confused with New Year fireworks by residents.

“We heard the tension early in the morning. When the gunshots rang out, we thought it was New Year celebrations,” he explained.

“But it quickly became clear these were clashes with rebels, resulting in injuries and deaths.”

According to the chief, four SSPDF soldiers lost their lives, one civilian was wounded, and the attackers hit a weapons storage site that later detonated in an explosion.

The community leader noted that tensions continue to run high in Nadapal after the incident. The SPLA-IO asserted that its forces had seized control of Nadapal.

SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang refused to either confirm or deny the developments there. Kapoeta East County Commissioner Steve Lowezio acknowledged the fighting had occurred but said it was not the appropriate moment to elaborate.

“It is not the right time for me to talk,” he stated.

The outbreak of violence has brought cross-border travel to a standstill. A senior official, also speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, reported that all vehicle traffic between Kapoeta and Nadapal has stopped amid fears of ambushes.

“The attack involved heavy weapons, severely disrupting movement,” the official said.

“Many civilians have fled to nearby villages, while others have sought refuge in Kapoeta town, where they are facing hunger and desperately need protection.”

Friday’s clash at Nadapal comes amid escalating battles in recent weeks between the SPLA-IO and SSPDF in other areas, including northern Jonglei—where opposition forces overran an SSPDF base in Uror County the same morning.

Since achieving independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan has grappled with the lingering effects of a brutal civil war that erupted in 2013 and lasted five years.

Although a 2018 peace agreement created a transitional unity government, progress on its implementation has stalled, allowing sporadic outbreaks of violence to persistently undermine the country’s fragile stability.