Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, head of the SPLA-IO Kit-Gwang faction, declared on Friday morning that joint opposition forces had seized control of Pajut in northern Jonglei State, hailing it as a major battlefield success.

Following the SPLA-IO’s takeover of Uror County from government troops on January 2, a substantial contingent of South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) had assembled in Pajut, reportedly in anticipation of launching a counteroffensive.

Gen. Gatwech declined to identify the specific opposition groups involved in the Pajut operation, promising more details in due course.

He sharply criticized President Salva Kiir, accusing him of devastating the nation by perpetuating violence.

“Joint opposition movements united and took Pajut this morning,” he stated. “I extend my greetings to all opposition elements across South Sudan.”

Multiple local sources corroborated the fall of Pajut, although the SSPDF had issued no official statement by the time of reporting.

SPLA-IO channels also claimed the area was captured from government forces around 6 a.m. on Friday.

A former SPLA-IO chief of staff, Gatwech asserted that military operations would press forward until reaching Juba, President Kiir’s stronghold.

He reassured local civilians of their safety, emphasizing that the conflict targets only military installations.

Operating primarily in Upper Nile and Jonglei states—and originating from Uror County himself—Gatwech said casualty figures from the Pajut clash were still being gathered.

“Civilians in Pajut remain safe and protected,” he stressed. “Our fight is directed at army positions and barracks, never at civilian communities.”

He described Pajut as the SSPDF’s most significant stronghold in northern Jonglei following the earlier loss of Yuai town.

Gatwech alleged that government troops are severely demoralized due to unpaid salaries and inadequate supplies, with some soldiers resorting to selling charcoal for survival.

He urged SSPDF units to avoid combat with opposition fighters.

Turning to the Port Sudan peace agreement signed with the government in February 2025, Gatwech declared the deal effectively dead due to non-implementation.

“With only days left before the agreement’s timeline ends, it is proceeding alongside the war,” he remarked. “My delegation remains in Juba. It is now up to President Salva Kiir to clarify whether the accord is still valid or has collapsed.”

He placed full responsibility on Kiir for the failure to honor the terms, insisting that the Kit-Gwang faction had fully embraced the agreement’s provisions.

The SPLA-IO Kit-Gwang faction, under Gatwech’s command, entered into the peace deal with the government on February 2, 2025, in Port Sudan, facilitated by Sudanese military mediators.

The accord included a 12-month implementation period.

South Sudan’s side was represented by Gen. Akec Tong Aleu, at the time director general of the National Security Service’s Internal Security Bureau.

Sudan was represented by Gen. Ahmed Ibrahim Mufadal, then director of the General Intelligence Service.

Post-signing, an advance delegation from the Kit-Gwang faction—led by Gatluak Puok Kuenywar—arrived in Juba to negotiate implementation steps, including the integration of their fighters into the SSPDF and other security organs.

Among other terms, the agreement called for Gen. Gatwech’s appointment as deputy commander-in-chief of the SSPDF prior to his return to the capital, and required a detachment of Kit-Gwang forces to deploy to Juba within three months.

To date, none of these commitments have been fulfilled.