15/04/2026
A War No One Agreed On
By Chol Michael Maker
Tuesday, 14 April 2026
The conflict in South Sudan is often misunderstood, especially in how the Nuer and Dinka communities interpret it. From the Nuer point of view, this has largely been a war of revenge. Many believe they are fighting the government and what they see as Dinka-dominated leadership, particularly after the events of December 2013. For them, it is not simply about ethnicity but about justice, survival and responding to past violence. Many Dinka, however, see it differently. They regard it as a political war, a rebellion against the government rather than a fight against the Dinka people as a whole. In this view, the opposition is challenging state authority, not targeting an ethnic group. Other South Sudanese communities often see it in another way altogether, as a direct confrontation between Dinka and Nuer that has drawn the rest of the country into prolonged instability.
This confusion is not new. When the war began in 1983 in Itang, Adura and Bilpam, some saw it as a struggle for positions, especially as figures such as William Nyuon and Akuot Atem found themselves on opposing sides. When it resurfaced in 1991 in Nasir, many understood it as a reform movement. When violence broke out again in Juba in 2013, it was widely seen as a rivalry between President Salva Kiir and his Vice President Riek Machar. When fighting erupted again at J1 in Juba in 2016, many believed it was an attempt on the life of the Nuer leader. Later, when Major General David Majur and his entire force were killed in Nasir, it was viewed by some as an existential threat. When Akobo was yesterday attacked, sections of the Nuer population, along with rebel voices, saw the national army as an occupying force. Each time, the same conflict has been understood in a different way, shaped by fear, loyalty, memory and political influence.
Micheal Maker