Both sides in South Sudan’s civil war have suffered heavy losses since fighting began late last year, leaving tens of thousands of women widowed and children orphaned.  

The number of government soldiers of killed or wounded in South Sudan’s ongoing civil war is more than 20,000, according to a high-level military source. It is not clear whether the opposition group SPLA-IO is keeping any records of its losses.

Unofficial statistics kept by SPLA-Juba, the armed group controlling the Juba-based government, show that their forces suffered losses of about 10,000 dead and 10,000 seriously wounded so far this year.

In the period from January to October over 10,659 soldiers belonging to the SPLA-Juba forces were killed in battle, the sources said.

Another 9,921 people were seriously wounded but either survived or did not die instantly, he said. However, the source did not say how many of this number later died after being evacuated from the battlefield.

Lacking medical equipment

The officer disclosed that SPLA-Juba forces lack adequate medical equipment and trained medical personnel. He pointed out that they do not have mobile ambulances and paramedics assigned to infantry forces.

He described this as a big challenge facing the army, pointing out that many soldiers have bled to death after being wounded.

The number of soldiers who died in this manner is more than 589, he said, without giving specifics except to say that this happened in frontline areas.

‘The war is meaningless’

The SPLA officer who revealed this information lamented the pointlessness of the conflict while also denouncing the rival SPLA-IO group as murderous and tyrannical.

“The war which has cost so much is a meaningless undertaking. Honestly speaking, it has no objectives. The rebels of Riek Machar are claiming to be fighting for democratic reforms but when you look at the behaviors and actions of their field commanders and the way the conduct themselves, you find they are bunch of warlords with no political objective.” 

He continued, “They kill anybody they do not agree with, even within Nuer themselves. They have taken the conflict as a fight between the Dinka and the Nuer but in Addis Ababa… they are talking of democratic reforms.”

File photo: A soldier wounded in Awerial, South Sudan (Reuters)

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