Paulino became a member of Anyanya II, and in 1985 returned to Unity State (Western Upper Nile), armed and supported by the government.
Fighting with Brigadier Omar al-Bashir, then an army officer but soon to lead a coup and become president of Sudan, early in 1989 he recaptured Mayom in Unity State from the SPLA.
[2] Paulino's Bul Nuer territory around Mankien and Mayom in Unity state is close to both Kordofan and Bahr al-Ghazal and well situated for trade.
[3] Although the SSUM became fragmented, with fighting between units led by rival commanders, it was the most powerful militia of people from the south that opposed the SPLA in the war.
[2] In 1998–1999, Paulino's fighters and government troops clashed with Riek Machar's SSDF forces in a struggle for control of the Unity state oilfields.
[2] As of April 2004 Paulino was chief of staff of the SSDF, and had wide-ranging power over the inhabitants of the Bentiu, Mayoum and Mankin areas of Unity State.
[15] According to Riek Machar, now Deputy President of South Sudan, Paulino Matip's house was attacked by heavily armed soldiers supported by tanks.
In a public letter, Matip accused the SPLA, its Commander-in-Chief, Salva Kiir Mayardit and the state governor Taban Deng Gai of being involved in plotting the attack.
[10] In March 2011 a presidential adviser said a plot had been discovered to assassinate Riek Machar, the vice president, Paulino Matip, Thomas Cirilo, Ismail Kony, Augustino Jadalla Wani and Isaac Obuto Mamur.