Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA)

The document examines the SPLA's efforts to disarm civilian populations in South Sudan following the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). It focuses on the violent disarmament of the Lou Nuer in Jonglei State, which resulted in significant casualties and looting, and contrasts this with a more peaceful process in Akobo. The author argues that the SPLA's approach was dominated by a militarist orientation and a desire to secure the south before confronting the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) in oil-producing borderlands. The paper also criticizes the United Nations for its failure to proactively manage internal disarmament and its tendency to ignore human rights abuses in the region.

• The SPLA's disarmament of the Lou Nuer in Jonglei State was characterized by extreme violence and coercion, resulting in rough estimates of 400 SPLA soldier deaths and 1,200 white army fighter deaths.
• The SPLA's urgency in disarming civilians was driven by a strategic need to ensure internal security in the south before confronting the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) in northern and oil-producing borderlands.
• The disarmament process in Akobo was presented as a non-violent alternative utilizing traditional and youth leaders, though critics argue few weapons were actually turned in and the process was not truly voluntary due to the threat of SPLA force.
• The SPLA's organizational culture is heavily militarist, with military officers typically taking the lead in solving problems through authoritarian methods and the use of force.
• The United Nations was criticized for its narrow legalistic interpretation of the CPA, which left it unprepared for internal south-south conflicts and led it to sideline itself during human rights abuses in Jonglei.
• The 'white army' of the Lou Nuer was largely a children's army composed of boys aged 14 to 20, who viewed their weapons as symbols of manhood and power.
• The disarmament in Jonglei exacerbated food shortages because the SPLA failed to provide food for its soldiers, who instead subsisted on cattle belonging to the local population.
• Internal divisions within the SPLM/A, specifically between 'Garangists' and supporters of Salva Kiir, influenced the disarmament process and the integration of former SSDF officers.

APA

Young, J. (2007). Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper137.pdf

Chicago

Young, John. Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). Institute for Security Studies, 2007. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper137.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Young |first1=John |title=Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=April 2007 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper137.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{young2007sudan, author = {Young, John}, title = {{Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA)}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2007}, month = apr, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper137.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }