In the course of that conflict, Par fought under Riek Machar with several rebel and pro-government groups, and eventually became a powerful militia commander in Unity State.

Leading pro-government counter-insurgency forces in Wau State since 2014, Par was eventually ambushed and killed by SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Machar in 2017.

We were trained by your hand and know your methods" Peter Par Jiek was born in the 1950s[1] as a member of the Dok subgroup of the Nuer people.

Eventually, Machar and Par joined the SSDF in 1997,[1][3] an alliance of militias that had decided to side (for the time being) with the Sudanese government against other rebel factions.

The pro-government force of Paulino Matip Nhial repeatedly attacked the town of Leer in late 1998 which was held by SSDF fighters under Par and Tito Biel.

[15] From March 2000 onwards, the allied forces of Par and the SPLA, under Peter Gadet's command, gained some ground against the Sudanese army and Paulino Matip Nhial's militia, while continuing to weaken the government's grip on the area by ambushing military convoies and destroying oil pipelines.

[17] As Par and Gadet battled for control over Unity State, the former was reportedly backed by the government, receiving ammunition from Matip's men.

While Par managed to repulse an attempt of pro-government forces to capture Leer in September 2002,[24] the Sudanese army eventually retook the town in January 2003 in a fresh drive to clear the area for oil exploitation.

[2] In April 2017, Par led a major government offensive aimed at retaking Baggari, an important town in Wau State held by SPLM-IO forces.

[2][27] In revenge for their deaths, SPLA soldiers and pro-government Dinka militiamen belonging to Mathiang Anyoor murdered and robbed non-Dinkas in Wau town and surrounding villages.