At least 14 soldiers have been killed and several others injured in South Sudan following a suspected “love triangle” dispute that escalated into a deadly shootout, the army confirmed on Wednesday.

The clash involved members of the Unified VIP Protection Force a joint unit comprising government troops and opposition fighters at a market near the oil-rich Abyei Box region, which straddles the border between Sudan and South Sudan.

According to South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) spokesperson Lul Ruai Koang, the confrontation began on Monday after two officers one loyal to President Salva Kiir and another aligned with opposition leader Riek Machar argued over a woman.

“There are two conflicting accounts regarding the cause of the crisis: one says it was a personal misunderstanding between the two officers at a tea place; the other says it was a love triangle,” Koang told journalists during a briefing in Juba.

“The two men reportedly quarrelled after both were romantically involved with the same lady,” he added.

The altercation turned violent when the Machar-aligned officer allegedly shot his Kiir-aligned counterpart, prompting their bodyguards to engage in an intense exchange of gunfire.

The fighting quickly spread from the market to nearby checkpoints and barracks, leaving 14 soldiers dead six from Machar’s SPLA-IO faction and eight from the SSPDF.

A civilian was reportedly caught in the crossfire, while five soldiers were injured and remain hospitalized.

Koang emphasized that the incident was not politically motivated, though investigations are underway.

Tensions Rising Again

The incident comes amid heightened tensions in South Sudan, where a fragile power-sharing agreement between President Kiir and Machar has been steadily deteriorating.

Machar who was indicted last month on charges of murder, treason, and crimes against humanity was recently removed from his post as First Vice President, raising fears of renewed conflict in a nation already scarred by years of civil war.

South Sudan gained independence in 2011 but plunged into a brutal civil war just two years later, claiming over 400,000 lives. Though a 2018 peace deal brought relative calm, sporadic violence continues, fueled by unresolved political, ethnic, and military rivalries.

According to the UN Human Rights Office, nearly 2,000 civilians have been killed in violence across the country so far this year evidence that the world’s youngest nation remains on the brink of another bloody chapter.