SPLA-IO says it captured villages in renewed clashes near Yei

On 16 August 2025, fighters took control of Lasu and Libogo, about 25 kilometers southwest of Yei town, after clashes with the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), The fighting comes amid a worsening security crisis in South Sudan, which was exacerbated by the detention of Machar in March, His detention followed clashes between the SSPDF and a youth militia aligned with the SPLA-IO, deepening political uncertainty and raising fears of renewed conflict that would undermine a fragile 2018 peace deal. Yei, near the borders with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, has long been a flashpoint. The renewed clashes risk further displacement in yei already struggling with insecurity, economic hardship, and limited humanitarian access.