Lieutenant General Dr Paul Nyang Majok, Chief of Staff of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, arrived at the Heglig oil field for a rare inspection visit in a region marked by fragile security.
His visit followed the Rapid Support Forces’ brief entry into the field and aimed to assess border developments and reinforce security coordination with Sudanese authorities.
South Sudanese officials said the cooperation seeks to safeguard vital oil facilities and signals Juba’s determination to stabilise this strategically important area.
The visit came shortly after South Sudan reported that three of its soldiers were killed in a drone strike attributed to the General Abdel Fattah al Burhan’s army.
The attack targeted a celebration organised by the RSF and also killed several tribal leaders from the Misseriya community, deepening concerns over escalating cross-border tensions.
Juba notified authorities in Port Sudan of the incident, stressing that its troop deployment in Heglig was based on earlier security understandings between Sudan’s rival forces.
Those arrangements remain in effect despite rising hostilities and underscore the complexity of managing security along the shared frontier.
Majok’s arrival coincided with the entry of Brigadier General Hassan Darmot into the South Sudanese city of Aweil after his forces withdrew from Babanusa.
He received an official welcome and praised the hospitality, saying his troops felt “one soul in two bodies” since crossing into South Sudanese territory.
His remarks highlighted the delicate but functional ties between Sudanese units and authorities in Juba during a period of shifting military dynamics.
