Latest news with #Kiir-aligned
Eyewitness News
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
MSF hospital bombed in South Sudan
JUBA - Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said one of its hospitals in South Sudan had been bombed early on Saturday, with at least seven people killed by airstrikes in the area. South Sudan has descended into renewed conflict in recent months due to the collapse of a power-sharing agreement between rival generals, President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar. MSF said its hospital in Old Fangak in the north of the country had been bombed, destroying its pharmacy and all its medical supplies. A patient and staff member were injured. "The attack began at around 4:30 am (0130 GMT) when two helicopter gunships first dropped a bomb on the MSF pharmacy, burning it to the ground, then went on to fire on the town of Old Fangak for around 30 minutes," MSF said in a statement. It said a drone bombed the town's market next to the hospital at around 7 am, leading to at least seven deaths and wounding 20 people. "The hospital is clearly marked as a hospital. I don't think it was an accident," Mamman Mustapha, MSF's head of mission in South Sudan, told AFP by phone. "We've been there since 2014, we've shared our coordinates. They know us. And they continued shelling on the civilian population as well," he added. The hospital is the only one in the county, serving a population of more than 110,000 people in an area with extremely limited access to healthcare. It has not been an area at the centre of renewed clashes between the forces of Kiir and Machar in recent months. But the attack came a day after the Kiir-aligned army chief, Paul Majok Nang, threatened attacks in Fangak and Leer counties in response to a number of boats and barges being "hijacked". An army statement on Friday accused members of Machar's forces and its allies in the so-called White Army, a militia drawn from the vice president's ethnic Nuer community, of being behind the hijackings, which led to passengers and crew being "held hostage" and ransoms demanded. A spokesman for Machar's forces described the hijacking claims as "false" and called on the international community to investigate Saturday's assault. 'Considered hostile' Biel Boutros Biel, a local official in Fangak County, confirmed that bombings had hit the area around 4 am on Saturday. In a recorded statement, he said they were carried out by a drone and plane, displacing "over 30,000 people" and said a nine-month-old boy was among those killed. "These planes belonged to the government of South Sudan," he said. Last week, an opposition lawmaker accused Kiir's government of preparing a "genocide" of the Nuer community after it classified nine out of 16 Nuer-majority counties as "hostile", meaning aligned with Machar's party. South Sudan has been plagued by instability since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011. Kiir and Machar represent the two largest ethnic groups, the Dinka and Nuer, respectively. They fought a civil war between 2013 and 2018 that cost some 400,000 lives. An MSF hospital was also looted by gunmen in Ulang county, Upper Nile state last month.
Al Jazeera
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
UN warns of conflict in South Sudan amid reports of VP Riek Machar's arrest
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has called on all parties to exercise restraint amid reports of the arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar – the longtime rival of the country's President Salva Kiir. UMISS chief Nicholas Haysom said the country risked losing the 'hard-won gains of the past seven years' if the world's newest nation returned to 'a state of war', following reports that Machar was arrested at his residence in the capital, Juba. 'Tonight, the country's leaders stand on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict or taking the country forward towards peace, recovery and democracy in the spirit of the consensus that was reached in 2018 when they signed and committed to implementing a Revitalized Peace Agreement,' Haysom said in a statement released early Thursday. A return to fighting 'will not only devastate South Sudan but also affect the entire region', Haysom added. According to Machar's Sudan People's Liberation Army In Opposition (SPLM/IO) party, a convoy of 20 heavily armed vehicles 'forcefully entered' the first vice president's residence in Juba and disarmed his bodyguards on Wednesday. The country's defence minister and chief of national security were in the convoy that delivered an arrest warrant to the vice president, the SPLM/IO said, 'An arrest warrant was delivered to him under unclear charges,' according to a statement, which was shared on Facebook by Reath Muoch Tang, chairman of Machar's foreign relations committee. 'This act is a blatant violation of the Constitution and the Revitalized Peace Agreement, as no legal procedures such as lifting his immunity have been followed,' Tang said. 'The arrest of the First Vice President without due process undermines the rule of law and threatens the stability of the nation,' he said. A government spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment. Earlier on Wednesday, the UN reported clashes over the past 24 hours between forces loyal to President Kiir and Vice President Machar outside the capital Juba. A power-sharing deal between Kiir and Machar has been unravelling over recent weeks amid tension as government troops loyal to the president have battled fighters of the so-called White Army, which has close ties to Machar. In response to fighting since late February in the northeastern Upper Nile State, Kiir's government has detained several officials from Machar's party, including the petroleum minister and the deputy head of the army. Machar's party also said a military base and two military training centres around Juba had been attacked by government forces since Monday. The training centres were established to prepare Kiir's opposition forces for integration into the unified army, a key provision of the 2018 peace agreement aimed at uniting government and opposition troops. None of the incidents have been confirmed by the Kiir-aligned army, the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), though it accused Machar's forces of aggressive manoeuvres from one of the bases on Monday. Analysts say that an ageing Kiir, 73, has been seeking to ensure his succession and sideline Machar politically for months through cabinet reshuffles. South Sudan, the world's youngest country, fell into a bloody civil war soon after gaining independence in 2011, as forces aligned with Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, fought those loyal to Machar, an ethnic Nuer. The conflict killed more than 40,000 people before a 2018 peace deal saw the pair form a government of national unity. The clashes and latest political tensions between Kiir and Machar have unsettled many in Juba. The Norwegian and German embassies have closed while the the British and United States embassies said they were reducing to minimal staffing and have urged citizens to leave the country.
Observer
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Observer
S Sudan oppn says V-P's arrest ends peace deal
South Sudan's opposition said on Thursday the arrest overnight of First Vice President Riek Machar, long-time rival to President Salva Kiir, had invalidated their 2018 peace deal and risked plunging the country back into war. A convoy of 20 heavily armed vehicles entered Machar's residence in the capital, Juba, late on Wednesday and arrested him, according to a statement issued by a member of his party -- a dramatic escalation of a conflict that has been building for weeks in the world's youngest country. A power-sharing deal between Kiir and Machar has been gradually unravelling, threatening a return of the civil war that killed around 400,000 people between 2013 and 2018. "With the arrest and detention of Dr Riek Machar Teny, the R-ARCSS 2018 has been abrogated," said Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, deputy chairman of Machar's party, using a technical term for the peace deal. "The prospect for peace and stability in South Sudan has now been put into serious jeopardy," he added. There was widespread international condemnation, including from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), warning that the reported arrest left the country "on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict". Juba was calm early on Thursday, with businesses open and people on the streets, a journalist said. But there was a heavy military presence around Machar's home, which is located just metres from the president's home, including a tank. The population is deeply worried about what might come next, civil society leader Edmund Yakani said. "The public are in a panic," he said. "There is a high chance of full-scale war but it will be more deadly and more violent because of (the need) for revenge," he added. The US State Department on Thursday called on Kiir to "reverse this action and prevent further escalation" in a post on X. And the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a bloc of East African countries, called on the parties to exercise "maximum restraint, prioritise dialogue and resolve differences through inclusive and peaceful means". South Sudan -- which declared independence from Sudan in 2011 -- has remained plagued by poverty and insecurity since the peace deal in 2018. Analysts say an ageing Kiir, 73, has been seeking to ensure his succession and sideline Machar politically for months through cabinet reshuffles. More than 20 of Machar's political and military allies in the unity government and army have also been arrested since February, many held incommunicado. Machar's party says three of its military bases around Juba have been attacked by government forces since Monday. The training centres were established to prepare opposition forces for integration into the unified army -- a key provision of the 2018 peace agreement aimed at uniting government and opposition troops. None of the incidents have been confirmed by the Kiir-aligned army, the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), although it accused Machar's forces of aggressive manoeuvres from one of the bases on Monday. Prior to Machar's arrest, Kiir said he reaffirmed his "unwavering commitment to restoring peace" following a meeting with church leaders. It follows weeks of violent clashes, particularly in Nasir County, where government forces loyal to the president have battled the so-called White Army, a militia with ties to Machar. - AFP
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
S.Sudan opposition says vice president's arrest ends peace deal
South Sudan's opposition said on Thursday the arrest overnight of First Vice President Riek Machar, long-time rival to President Salva Kiir, had invalidated their 2018 peace deal and risked plunging the country back into war. A convoy of 20 heavily armed vehicles entered Machar's residence in the capital, Juba, late on Wednesday and arrested him, according to a statement issued by a member of his party -- a dramatic escalation of a conflict that has been building for weeks in the world's youngest country. A power-sharing deal between Kiir and Machar has been gradually unravelling, threatening a return of the civil war that killed around 400,000 people between 2013 and 2018. "With the arrest and detention of Dr Riek Machar Teny, the R-ARCSS 2018 has been abrogated," said Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, deputy chairman of Machar's party, using a technical term for the peace deal. "The prospect for peace and stability in South Sudan has now been put into serious jeopardy," he added. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said on Thursday the reported arrest left the country teetering on the edge of a precipice. "The country's leaders stand on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict," UNMISS head Nicholas Haysom said. Breaches of the 2018 peace deal "will not only devastate South Sudan but also affect the entire region", he added. Juba was calm early on Thursday, with businesses open and people on the streets, an AFP journalist said. But there was a heavy military presence around Machar's home, which is located just metres (yards) from the president's home, including a tank. The population is deeply worried about what might come next, civil society leader Edmund Yakani said. "The public are in a panic," he told AFP. "There is a high chance of full-scale war but it will be more deadly and more violent because of (the need) for revenge," he added. - Arrests and clashes - South Sudan -- which declared independence from Sudan in 2011 -- has remained plagued by poverty and insecurity since the peace deal in 2018. Analysts say an ageing Kiir, 73, has been seeking to ensure his succession and sideline Machar politically for months through cabinet reshuffles. More than 20 of Machar's political and military allies in the unity government and army have also been arrested since February, many held incommunicado. Machar's party says three of its military bases around Juba have been attacked by government forces since Monday. The training centres were established to prepare opposition forces for integration into the unified army -- a key provision of the 2018 peace agreement aimed at uniting government and opposition troops. None of the incidents have been confirmed by the Kiir-aligned army, the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), although it accused Machar's forces of aggressive manoeuvres from one of the bases on Monday. - 'Red warning' - Prior to Machar's arrest, Kiir said he reaffirmed his "unwavering commitment to restoring peace" following a meeting with church leaders. It follows weeks of violent clashes, particularly in Nasir County, where government forces loyal to the president have battled the so-called White Army, a militia with ties to Machar. "The violence that started in March in Nasir seems to be spreading across a number of states in South Sudan," warned the International Crisis Group's South Sudan senior analyst, Daniel Akech. He said the refusal of Kiir and Machar to engage in dialogue -- despite pressure from the international community -- was a "red warning". If wider conflict did break out, he said, "it will be a very decentralised kind of violence, which would be very difficult to stop" as it could quickly escape the two leaders' control. International observers have expressed increasing concern, with Norway and Germany closing their embassies in Juba. The British and US embassies announced they were reducing to minimal staffing and urged citizens to leave the country. burs-er/gil
Al-Ahram Weekly
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
S.Sudan Vice President Riek Machar arrested - Africa
South Sudan's First Vice President Riek Machar, the long-time rival to President Salva Kiir, was arrested on Wednesday -- a move described by the UN as leaving the country on the brink of widespread conflict. A convoy of 20 heavily armed vehicles entered Machar's residence in the capital Juba and arrested him, according to a statement issued by a member of his party, in a dramatic escalation of a conflict that has been building for weeks in the world's youngest country. A power-sharing deal between Kiir and Machar has been gradually unravelling, threatening a return of the five-year civil war that killed around 400,000 people between 2013 and 2018. "We strongly condemn the unconstitutional actions taken today by the Minister of Defense and the Chief of National Security, who, alongside more than 20 heavily armed vehicles, forcefully entered the residence of the First Vice President," said the statement, which was shared on Facebook by Reath Muoch Tang, his party's foreign relations committee chairman. "His bodyguards were disarmed, and an arrest warrant was delivered to him under unclear charges. Attempts are currently being made to relocate him," it added. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said Thursday the reported arrest left the country on a precipice. "Tonight, the country's leaders stand on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict," UNMISS head Nicholas Haysom said in a statement. Breaches of the 2018 peace deal "will not only devastate South Sudan but also affect the entire region," he added. South Sudan -- which declared independence from Sudan in 2011 -- has remained plagued by poverty and insecurity since the peace deal. Analysts say an ageing Kiir, 73, has been seeking to ensure his succession and sideline Machar politically for months through cabinet reshuffles. More than 20 of Machar's political and military allies in the unity government and army have also been arrested since February, many held incommunicado. There have been violent clashes between forces loyal to the two rivals, most notably in the northeastern Nasir County of Upper Nile State. Machar's party says a military base and two military training centres around Juba have been attacked by government forces since Monday. A spokesman for Machar's military wing, the Sudan People's Liberation Army In Opposition (SPLA-IO), on Wednesday condemned the attacks as "terrorism" in a post on Facebook, and urged the international community to act. The training centres were established to prepare opposition forces for integration into the unified army, a key provision of the 2018 peace agreement aimed at uniting government and opposition troops. None of the incidents have been confirmed by the Kiir-aligned army, the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), though it accused Machar's forces of aggressive manoeuvres from one of the bases on Monday. Many in Juba are unsettled by the latest clashes and political tensions. "I am so worried about the situation. I feel like we are going back to war while we still need peace," Lilian Sukeji told AFP. "Our leaders need to embrace dialogue rather than guns," she said. 'Red warning' Prior to Machar's arrest, Kiir said he reaffirmed his "unwavering commitment to restoring peace" following a meeting with church leaders. But it follows weeks of violent clashes, particularly in Nasir County, where government forces loyal to the president have battled the so-called White Army, a militia with ties to Machar. "The violence that started in March in Nasir seems to be spreading across a number of states in South Sudan," warned International Crisis Group's South Sudan senior analyst Daniel Akech. He said the refusal of Kiir and Machar to engage in dialogue -- despite pressure from the international community -- was a "red warning". If wider conflict did break out, he said, "it will be a very decentralised kind of violence, which would be very difficult to stop" as it could quickly escape the two leaders' control. International observers have expressed increasing concerns, with Norway and Germany closing their embassies in Juba. The British and US embassies in Juba announced they were reducing to minimal staffing, and urged citizens to leave the country. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
