08/09/2025
Spiritual leader Makuach rejects dialogue, advances toward Pigi
A prominent Nuer spiritual leader, Makuach Tut, who commands White Army militias in Ayod County, has arrived in Pagil, near Pigi County in Jonglei State, defying efforts to de-escalate tensions, local officials said.
James Chuol Jiek, commissioner of Ayod County, told Radio Tamazuj that Makuach and his forces left Mogog village and reached Chuilbong, in Pagil Payam, signaling an advance toward Pigi County and a possible attempt to cross the Nile to Malakal, the capital of Upper Nile State.
“A few days ago, White Army and SPLA-IO forces were reported to be stationed in Mogog and parts of Pigi County under Makuach’s leadership, with intentions to attack Pigi and Malakal,” Chuol said.
The White Army, a militia largely composed of Nuer youth, has been fighting alongside Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) against government forces in parts of the Upper Nile region since early this year.
“On Friday evening, Makuach arrived in Chuilbong after leaving Mogog village, where he had been stationed with his forces,” Chuol said.
The commissioner said attempts to engage Makuach in peace talks had failed.
“The state governor, Dr. Riek G*i Kok, was planning to visit Ayod County for dialogue with Makuach, but the spiritual leader is not ready for talks. Instead, he moved closer to Pigi, which indicates he is preparing for conflict,” Chuol said. “I advised the governor not to come and reported Makuach’s movements to higher authorities.”
On Friday, Upper Nile State Governor Lt. Gen. James Koang Chuol warned against renewed fighting in Upper Nile and urged Jonglei authorities to help de-escalate tensions.
Manath Gany Lual, press secretary to Jonglei Governor Riek G*i Kok, told Radio Tamazuj on Saturday that the state government was working to calm the situation and denied recent reports of the governor meeting Makuach in Ayod.
“There are ongoing efforts to bring peace through dialogue. However, Governor Riek G*i has not visited Ayod recently. The videos circulating online were taken two months ago,” he said.
SPLA-IO commanders in Pigi could not immediately be reached for comment.
South Sudan has experienced renewed political and security tensions since February, following clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and the White Army in Nasir County, Upper Nile State.
Machar, a longtime rival of President Salva Kiir and leader of the SPLM-IO, has been under house arrest in Juba since March 26. The national government accuses him of fueling violence in Upper Nile—a charge his supporters dismiss as politically motivated. Some of his allies, including his army chief of general staff, are also in detention.
Makuach is demanding the release of First Vice President Riek Machar and SPLA-IO Chief of General Staff Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam as a condition to halt his advance on Pigi County and Malakal.
Gen. Duop, like Makuach, hails from Ayod County.
