page_title: War of the Peters
section_title: Escalation and conclusion
hierarchical_section_title: War of the Peters / History / Escalation and conclusion
context_page_description: The War of the Peters was a conflict primarily fought between the forces of Peter Par Jiek and Peter Gadet from June 2000 to August 2001 in Unity State, Sudan. Though both were leaders of local branches of larger rebel groups that were involved in the Second Sudanese Civil War, the confrontation between the two commanders was essentially a private war. As Par and Gadet battled each other, the Sudanese government exploited the inter-rebel conflict as part of a divide and rule-strategy, aimed at weakening the rebellion at large and allowing for the extraction of valuable oil in Unity State. In the end, Gadet and Par reconciled when their respective superiors agreed to merge the SPDF and SPLA.
context_section_description: Between July and August 2000, Par joined forces with Matip's militia and attacked Gadet's forces in the area between Nimne and Nhialdiu. They gradually pushed the SPLA westward, attacking Wicok, Buoth, Boaw, and Koch in succession. Most of Gadet's troops were forced to flee across the Jur River, and only Buoth remained under SPLA control. At the same time, Gadet was resupplied by the SPLA central command, and recruited new troops, including at least 400 child soldiers. He launched a counter-offensive in August 2000, and had retaken most of the lost ground by late September. When they captured Koch, Gadet's men killed two health workers and stole the local clinic's medical supplies. Meanwhile, tensions grew between Par and SPDF co-commander Tito Biel. To avoid war between them, Machar sent Biel to Maiwut County where he was supposed to rally Jikany Nuer to the SPDF's cause.
  The War of the Peters was brutal, led to enormous destruction, and displaced up to 60,000 people. Many civilians fled to Bahr el Ghazal, and although hunger and disease spread among the refugees, most subsequently chose to stay as their old homes had been destroyed. Both sides used scorched earth tactics, and completely destroyed many settlements, including Nhialdiu. Schools were also targeted, and the militants killed, raped, and abducted many civilians. The war also increased lower-level tribal conflicts between the Bul and Dok Nuer. The region became too dangerous for the delivery of humanitarian aid, worsening the civilians' suffering. The Sudanese government and the oil companies benefitted greatly from the War of the Peters, as the inter-rebel fighting allowed them to boost the oil extraction. In turn, the government was able to increase its defense expenditure and acquire new weaponry for the civil war.
  Gadet's troops attacked the United Nations relief hub of Nyal inside SPDF territory in February 2001. This almost resulted in a further escalation, as the attack was regarded as breach of an earlier peace agreement between Nuer and Dinka militias that was still partially in effect. In addition, this raid caused tensions in Par's militia. Nyal was traditionally Nyuong Nuer territory, and the Nyuong fighters of Par's force believed that the Dok and Bul were spreading their destructive tribal conflict to Nyuong lands. As a result, a shootout between Nyuong and Dok militants erupted at Par's base in Nyal in early May 2001. Gadet launched another major raid against Bentiu, a center of the regional oil infrastructure, on 8 June 2001. The SPLA-Mainstream used the occasion to warn oil companies to withdraw from Sudan, threatening that they were regarded as military targets by the rebels. The War of the Peters continued until August 2001, when Par and Gadet agreed to a ceasefire. A few months later, Machar came to an understanding with the SPLA leadership and agreed to merge the SPDF with SPLA-Mainstream, whereupon Par and Gadet signed a final peace agreement in Koch in February 2002. Par and his faction joined the SPLA, and he and Gadet formally merged their armies. In contrast, Tito Biel was opposed to joining SPLA-Mainstream, and defected to Matip's militia.
caption: Oil Concessions in South Sudan.