South Sudan edges closer to renewed civil war
South Sudan is facing a dangerous escalation of violence that analysts warn could push the country back into full-scale civil war, as clashes intensify between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and opposition groups linked to his longtime rival Riek Machar.
At least 169 people were killed last Sunday when armed youth from Mayom County attacked a village in neighbouring Abiemnom County near the border with Sudan.
Local officials said the victims included women, children and members of government security forces.
The assault occurred in the Ruweng administrative area, where authorities say the attackers were linked to the White Army militia, which fought alongside Machar during South Sudan’s previous civil war.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reported that more than 1,000 civilians sought refuge at its base following the attack, while at least 23 people were injured.
Opposition figures denied responsibility, with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) saying it had no military presence in the area.
The deteriorating security situation has also affected humanitarian operations. Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) said 26 of its staff were missing amid ongoing fighting in Jonglei state.
The group said its hospital in Lankien was hit by a government airstrike and later burned and looted, while another health facility in Pieri was also ransacked, forcing the organisation to suspend medical services in the region.
South Sudan gained independence in 2011 after a long struggle against Sudan, but the country plunged into a devastating civil war in 2013 after Kiir dismissed Machar as vice-president and accused him of plotting a coup.
The conflict, largely fought along ethnic lines between Kiir’s Dinka community and Machar’s Nuer supporters, killed more than 400,000 people and displaced millions.
Although the rivals signed a peace agreement in 2018 and formed a unity government, tensions have persisted.
Machar was suspended from office and placed under house arrest last year after being charged with murder and treason over a deadly attack in Nasir County.
Analysts warn that Machar’s prosecution has unified fragmented opposition groups and intensified violence, particularly in Jonglei state, where fighting has displaced about 280,000 people in recent months.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk has warned that South Sudan is at a “dangerous point,” urging urgent action to prevent a return to full-scale civil war.
