At least seven individuals lost their lives following devastating bombings of a hospital and a market in South Sudan, as reported by a medical charity. The situation has raised alarms about a potential resurgence of civil war in the region.
Details of the Attack
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) revealed that helicopter gunships targeted the pharmacy of their facility located in Old Fangak, Jonglei state, completely destroying it. Following the initial assault, aerial bombardments continued for approximately 30 minutes, with a drone later striking a nearby market. This attack resulted in over 20 injuries, compounding the tragedy of the incident.
MSF emphasized that the hospital serves as the sole medical facility in Fangak county, which is home to more than 110,000 residents. The organization condemned the bombing, labeling it a “clear violation of international humanitarian law.”
Concerns Over Escalating Violence
In a statement to the BBC’s Newshour program, MSF spokesman Mamman Mustapha indicated that the organization was still verifying facts surrounding the attack. Local witnesses reportedly identified the aircraft as belonging to “government forces helicopters.” Mustapha insisted, “The hospital is clearly marked as ‘hospital’ with our logo,” and noted that their coordinates had been shared with all parties involved in the conflict to ensure its recognition as a medical facility.
Currently, there has been no comment from the South Sudanese government regarding the incident. The UN mission in South Sudan, led by Nicholas Haysom, has recently expressed concern, indicating that the nation is “teetering on the brink of a return to full-scale civil war.” This anxiety stems from an escalating conflict between President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar.
Just hours before the bombing, Army Chief Paul Majok Nang threatened retaliatory actions in response to hijacked barges on a river, attributing the attacks to a militia associated with Vice-President Machar. Machar, who was arrested in March along with several aides and accused of inciting rebellion, has not publicly addressed these claims.
The government has also identified certain counties as hostile, suggesting an alignment with Machar, which exacerbates fears of renewed ethnic conflict between South Sudan’s two largest groups. The country achieved independence from Sudan in 2011, but civil war erupted just two years later after Kiir dismissed Machar, accusing him of attempting a coup.
The resultant conflict, predominantly characterized by ethnic divisions among supporters of the two leaders, led to an estimated 400,000 deaths and displaced around 2.5 million people, which is over a fifth of the nation’s population. Although a peace agreement was established in 2018 and a unity government was formed, the promised elections have yet to materialize.
Additionally, the peace deal aimed to dissolve all militias and create a unified army, but many armed factions remain loyal to various political figures. The current unrest began earlier this year when the White Army militia, previously allied with Machar, engaged in violent clashes with the army in Upper Nile state, even overtaking a military base in Nasir. In March, a UN helicopter attempting to evacuate troops was attacked, resulting in multiple fatalities, including that of a senior army general.
Human rights organizations have increasingly urged the military to cease bombings in civilian areas to prevent further loss of life.
“The hospital is clearly marked as ‘hospital’ with our logo,” he said. “We have shared also our coordinates for all the warring parties in the area so the hospital should be known to both parties as a hospital.”