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Arab Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Arab Times
Uganda air-drops relief food aid to South Sudan's violence-hit state
KAMPALA, June 1, (Xinhua): The Ugandan military said on Saturday that it has conducted air-drops of 600 metric tons of essential food supplies targeting several locations in South Sudan's violence-hit state of Upper Nile. Chris Magezi, acting military spokesperson, told Xinhua by telephone that Uganda Peoples' Defense Airforce has airlifted humanitarian aid deliveries provided by international partners from South Sudan's Juba International Airport to the hard-hit areas in Ulang and Nasir counties. In March, intense fighting broke out in Nasir between the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) and the White Army, a militia group that the government claims is linked to the opposition Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition, led by First Vice President Riek Machar. Machar is currently under house arrest in the national capital of Juba. "In the past few days, our air force has airdropped emergency food aid to hard-hit areas where thousands of displaced people are currently living in famine conditions following the outbreak of armed violence early this year," said Magezi. Uganda's military, at the request of South Sudanese authorities, deployed an expeditionary force in the country in March to help support SSPDF in rear security operations to secure Juba, as well as provide other military-technical assistance following the deadly clashes. Magezi said the security situation around the greater Juba region has since stabilized, easing tensions that have allowed foreign missions, businesses, and trade to resume operations.
Arab News
23-05-2025
- Health
- Arab News
UN urges warring sides in South Sudan to ‘pull back from the brink'
GENEVA: The UN rights chief has urged warring sides in South Sudan to pull back from the brink, warning that the human rights situation risks further deterioration as fighting intensifies. 'The escalating hostilities in South Sudan portend a real risk of further exacerbating the already dire human rights and humanitarian situation, and undermining the country's fragile peace process,' said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. 'All parties must urgently pull back from the brink,' he added. Since May 3, fighting has intensified, with OHCHR citing reports of indiscriminate aerial bombardment and river and ground offensives by the South Sudan People's Defense Forces SSPDF on Sudan People's Liberation Army positions in parts of Fangak in Jonglei State and in Tonga County in Upper Nile. Clashes between South Sudan's army and fighters backing the rival to President Salva Kiir have killed at least 75 civilians since February, the UN human rights chief said on Friday. Dozens more have been injured and thousands forced to flee their homes, said the commissioner. He expressed concern over arbitrary detentions and a rise in hate speech since February. South Sudan, the world's youngest country after gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, was plunged into a violent civil war between 2013 and 2018 that claimed around 400,000 lives. South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, was plunged into a civil war between 2013 and 2018 that left around 400,000 dead and 4 million displaced. A 2018 power-sharing agreement between the warring parties had allowed for a precarious calm. But for several months, violent clashes have set President Kiir's faction against supporters of his rival, Vice President Riek Machar, who was arrested in March. Civilian-populated areas have been struck, including a medical facility operated by medical charity Doctors Without Borders or MSF, Turk said. According to a UN estimate in mid-April, around 125,000 people have been displaced since the escalation of tensions. Turk said dozens of opposition politicians linked to the SPLM-IO had been arrested, including Machar, ministers, MPs and army officers, as had civilians.
Al Arabiya
23-05-2025
- Health
- Al Arabiya
UN rights chief urges warring sides in South Sudan to ‘pull back from the brink'
The United Nations human rights chief on Friday called on all parties in South Sudan to de-escalate fighting, warning that the worsening conflict threatens to further unravel the country's fragile peace process and deepen an already dire humanitarian crisis. 'The escalating hostilities in South Sudan portend a real risk of further exacerbating the already dire human rights and humanitarian situation, and undermining the country's fragile peace process,' said Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 'All parties must urgently pull back from the brink,' he added. According to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), the violence has intensified since May 3, with reports of indiscriminate aerial bombardments as well as river and ground offensives by the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) targeting Sudan People's Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) positions in parts of Fangak in Jonglei State and Tonga County in Upper Nile. The agency said at least 75 civilians have been killed and 78 others injured in the violence between May 3 and May 20. Thousands have been displaced, and civilian-populated areas — including a medical facility operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) — have come under attack.
The Star
07-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
South Sudan army confirms carrying out aerial bombardment
JUBA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) on Wednesday acknowledged carrying out what it termed as strategic aerial bombardments in Jonglei and Unity states. "As of now, SSPDF Command has no comments to make on reported strategic bombing raids in Fangak and Mayom counties of Jonglei and Unity states, respectively," SSPDF spokesperson Lul Ruai Koang said in a statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. The airstrikes by the SSPDF in Kueryick village of Mayom County killed six people and wounded 12 others, according to the state's youth leader. "The destruction inflicted upon civilians is unacceptable and violates fundamental human rights, undermining efforts toward peace and stability in the region," Nyadin Lual Gai, chairperson of Unity State Youth Union, said in a statement. The airstrike near a World Food Program warehouse in New Fangak damaged a dike that protects local people from floods. The military operation came after the bombing of a hospital run by the global medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) and a market in Old Fangak on Saturday, which left seven people dead and 27 others seriously injured. The bombing of the health facility, which serves about 110,000 people, has since been strongly condemned by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, which monitors the implementation of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
Daily Maverick
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Tensions escalate in South Sudan as Kiir's power moves threaten fragile peace and national unity
As a guarantor of the peace agreement, the African Union must urgently take action to de-escalate political tensions. On 26 March 2025, security personnel led by South Sudan's defence minister and national security chief entered First Vice-President Riek Machar's home, disarmed and removed his security detail, and placed him under house arrest. The catalyst was his alleged role in recent skirmishes between the Dinka-dominated South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Nuer militia White Army. These erupted in early March, reportedly triggered by a disagreement over a long overdue rotation of the SSPDF's soldiers in Nasir garrison. Information Minister Michael Makuei said the arrests were directed by President Salva Kiir to prevent attacks on government installations and safeguard the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. The government also arrested several influential opposition ministers and high-ranking military officers from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition. Airstrikes were authorised in Nasir County and around Juba, and some opposition members have gone into hiding. National tensions have been rising, with unilateral reshuffles in the transitional government of national unity, including at vice-president level. The reshuffles are allegedly linked to Kiir's attempt to orchestrate his succession outside the revitalised agreement. This reveals deep mistrust between the country's two leaders and contravenes the 2018 peace agreement. Complete collapse Given the African Union's (AU) prior investment in stabilising South Sudan, swift action is imperative to prevent a complete collapse. This requires a clear understanding of the causes and implications of the evolving crisis, and the immediate options available to the Peace and Security Council. The violence in Nasir and other areas is a continuation of intermittent violence, institutional fragility, intense political divisions and exclusionary politics that have characterised South Sudan since independence in 2011. Due to longstanding mistrust between Kiir and Machar, neither has unified their armed groups into one national force. This mistrust has fuelled secondary fears tied to the uncertainty of elections and attempts to neutralise holdout groups and influential government figures through mediation and reshuffling. While both leaders are central to national disagreements, conflicts affecting several payams, counties and states overlay national politics, creating a complex interplay between state and national dynamics. In Nasir, national disputes shaped county decisions and snowballed into a pretext to reconfigure transitional government relationships. Similarly, the struggle to maintain the country's patronage infrastructure in the army and body politic remains deep seated. Some interpret Kiir's repeated cabinet reshuffles as counterproductive efforts to assert control over the transitional government amid waning financial leverage and a failing economy. The economic downturn is associated with the sharp decline in oil revenues caused by years of financial mismanagement and Sudan's civil war. Oil accounts for 90% of South Sudan's revenue, and disruptions reduced daily production by about 68% between December 2024 and January 2025. This has undermined political leaders' efforts to sustain patronage and command the loyalty of their armed factions. The integrity and sustainability of the revitalised agreement power-sharing arrangement depend on dialogue among the parties. However, Kiir's unilateral decision making creates the perception that he is consolidating power or preparing for a transition that excludes the opposition and others. The divisions that follow each dismissal have intensified tensions, leading to repeated extensions of the transitional timeframe. Ethnic tensions The recent Nasir violence highlights the failure to even minimally implement the revitalised agreement and its milestones, and has reinforced the ongoing economic distress and mistrust amid ethnic tensions. This has brought the country to a crossroads with various possible outcomes, two of which stand out. First, and most likely, the SSPDF, its associated militia, and armed groups such as the White Army, become entrenched in their positions, attracting additional actors on all sides. Since the Nasir outbreak, all factions have sought revenge for their losses, reinforcing their positions or protecting themselves from perceived threats. This outcome is supported by the ongoing aerial and ground campaigns against the opposition in parts of the country, particularly outside Juba and in Upper Nile. This is evident in government officials' increasingly aggressive rhetoric, the postponement of an Intergovernmental Authority on Development ministers' visit, and the engagement of ethnic groups such as the Shilluk and Equatorias. This outcome could see the collapse of the already precarious peace process. Even the Tumaini high-level process, which was intended to advance the revitalised agreement, is now in limbo. The less likely second scenario is that Machar and some of his lieutenants receive a conditional release, which could lead to an improved but still tense situation. Taban Deng Gai, the vice-president responsible for infrastructure, has advised Machar — while he awaits investigation and trial — to renounce the White Army and allow the government to integrate opposition forces into the SSPDF. However, this would essentially amount to Machar's surrender — and is improbable, as renouncing the White Army would alienate the opposition leader from the Nuer community. Such events would undermine Machar and create opportunities for Kiir's chosen transition actors to dominate the political scene. The degree to which Kiir continues to limit Machar's power will depend largely on Machar's influence in preventing the ascent of Kiir's preferred successors. At the crossroads of these two scenarios is a slim window to salvage the peace process. However, it will become increasingly difficult to address the complex dynamics, including South Sudan's military agreement with Uganda, which may extend beyond the AU Panel of the Wise's scope. Possible escalation In light of possible escalation, the AU — as a revitalised agreement guarantor — must act fast to support ongoing regional de-escalation measures. In addition to Peace and Security Council meetings and calling for the AU High-Level Ad Hoc Committee of Five on South Sudan to support Intergovernmental Authority on Development efforts, the AU could create a contact group with the authority to focus on day-to-day de-escalation measures. A start would be establishing what happened in Nasir and who is responsible. The Peace and Security Council should try to secure the release not just of Machar but all opposition officials who have been arbitrarily detained. The officials should also be reinstated in the structures outlined by the revitalised agreement. These actions are vital to maintain the integrity of the power-sharing agreement. Delayed regional and continental engagement could see violence worsen and the window to salvage the peace process closing further. DM
