South Sudan army chief gives soldiers seven days to crush rebellion

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete January 23, 2026 at 02:53 PM

AI Summary

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The head of South Sudan's armed forces has given soldiers seven days to crush a rebellion in the east that threatens the capital, Juba. The rebellion is led by suspended First Vice-President Riek Machar, who is on trial for murder and treason charges. Fighting has broken out in Jonglei state, capturing several areas including the town of Bor, which is two hours' drive from Juba. The South Sudanese army, supported by Ugandan soldiers, has deployed reinforcements to Bor to retake control. Analysts believe the rebellion's threats to advance on Juba are meant to pressure the government to release Machar. The UN's peacekeeping mission in South Sudan has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Unmiss ×240% Uganda 50% Angelina Teny 50% Paul Nang Majok 70% Bor ×370% South Sudanese army ×270% Jonglei ×380% Salva Kiir ×380% Juba ×380% Riek Machar ×590% Sudan People's Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) ×590% South Sudan ×5100%

Keywords

south sudan 100% rebellion 90% civil war 80% spla-io 70% jonglei 60% juba 60% salva kiir 50% riek machar 50% peace deal 40% ethnic tensions 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source

BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

South Sudan

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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south sudan rebellion civil war spla-io jonglei juba salva kiir riek machar peace deal ethnic tensions

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