South Sudan's People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) captured Motot town in Uror County, Jonglei State, on February 3, 2026, during clashes with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) and allied fighters that left several fighters dead, according to SSPDF announcement reported between 4:15 PM and 4:45 PM UTC. Weapons were seized in the operation, as confirmed by Sudans Post. The SSPDF released videos showing the situation after the fighting, stating the military operation resulted in the capture of the town, per a Sudans Post report (https://www.sudanspost.com/sspdf-claims-capture-of-motot-after-clashes-with-spla-io/). PonnieSheila on X noted that civilians remain the most vulnerable as conflict continues in parts of the country (https://x.com/PonnieSheila/status/2018631975691796583). A separate source referenced Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's remarks on historical differences with Eritrea, including Eritrean army invasion of Tigray, looting, and massacre in Axum during Ethiopia's civil war, predating sea access issues, as posted by PatrickHeinisc1 on X (https://x.com/PatrickHeinisc1/status/2018696535651885551). Dialogue attempts to resolve these issues have been unsuccessful, according to the post.
