海角大神

A version of this post appeared in Lesley on Africa. The views expressed are the author's own.聽

Since violence spread across parts of South Sudan in mid-December, it seemed like a relative calm had returned, at least to Juba, the capital.

(For background on the roots of the current crisis, see Radio Tamazuj鈥檚聽Nine questions about the South Sudan crisis: A guide for confused observers聽and聽South Sudan crisis: A guide for confused observers (II).)

The gunfire that broke out Wednesday occurred at the same SPLA barracks in Juba where gunfights started on聽Dec. 15聽that led to the current standoff in South Sudan.

The cause of this morning鈥檚 fighting at the Giada barracks, in which at least five soldiers were killed, appears to have been a dispute over pay, and聽may have involved聽some soldiers from Salva Kiir鈥檚 presidential guard, the Tiger Division. Brig. Gen. Malaak Ayuen, an SPLA spokeman,聽stated, 鈥淭his is purely an issue of salaries. It is not political and will not spread鈥� Soldiers have not been paid since January, why I don鈥檛 know, and went to the commander seeking answers."

It appears that a new procedure for distributing salaries was the cause of this morning鈥檚聽dispute.

The government of South Sudan had created a new payment system to prevent the payment of SPLA salaries to 鈥済host soldiers,鈥� thereby requiring soldiers to collect their payments in person.

Cabinet affairs minister Martin Elia Lomoru聽stated聽鈥溾�淭he whole intention was for the good of the country. It was not meant to deny anybody their rightful dues鈥�the intention was to build confidence in our financial systems so that the issue of transparency and accountability is not ignored.鈥�

From the few media reports of the events surrounding this brief outbreak of violence, it聽appears聽that miscommunications about this procedure prompted the gunfight as soldiers were queued waiting for their payments.

Like the mid-December gunfights in Juba, it鈥檚 very difficult to piece together what exactly happened. But the three most helpful news sources I鈥檝e seen thus far have been:

• Soldiers missing from payroll open fire on officers at SPLA headquarters聽from聽Radio Tamazuj

• Salary dispute within South Sudan army triggers heavy gunfire in Juba聽from聽Sudan Tribune

• Pay dispute, sounds of war rattle S. Sudan capital聽from聽AP

I鈥檓 not an expert on military compensation. But when you have segments of the military that, as one security consultant previously described it to me, are being paid聽not聽to fight the government, it鈥檚 probably best to make sure they鈥檙e paid within a reasonable period of time. Especially when you might need them to (re)establish the government鈥檚 monopoly on the use of force and retake territory held by anti-government rebels. Just a thought鈥�