Gen. George Athor told Reuters by satellite phone that he threatened to attack an important town if the SPLA assault on troops loyal to him continued.
Gen. Athor ran as independent candidate for governor of Jonglei state and lost to the SPLM.
He has been on the run since late April with over 100 soldiers and some civilians, when the SPLA accused him of ordering an attack on a barracks near Malakal that killed eight soldiers.
Gen. Athor claimed that his forces destroyed a number of SPLA vehicles and captured one mounted with an anti-aircraft gun.
There was no independent confirmation of the report.