The opposition in South Sudan announced that one of its military bases near the capital Juba was bombed on Monday night, while Washington expressed “deep concern” over escalating violence.
The clashes between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir on one side and his rival and First Vice President Riek Machar on the other threaten their 2018 power-sharing agreement and risk plunging the country back into civil war.
Late Monday, Machar’s party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), reported that its military garrison in Wunaliet, about 15 kilometers from Juba, was attacked.
A spokesperson stated in a press release that “this provocative act constitutes a violation” of the 2018 peace agreement.
Earlier, Lul Ruai Koang, spokesperson for the army loyal to Kiir, warned that Machar’s forces in the area were “intensifying their movements” and had sent a patrol toward army positions “in clear military formations.”
The army has yet to confirm the latest strikes, but official media reported “heavy bombardment.”
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, gained independence in 2011 but soon descended into a five-year civil war between Kiir and Machar that claimed around 400,000 lives until the two sides agreed to form a unity government under the peace agreement.
The recent clashes have mostly occurred in Nasir County in Upper Nile State.
In early March, a group of armed youth known as the “White Army,” loyal to Machar, seized a military base in Nasir. The army responded with airstrikes on nearby areas, reportedly using bombs containing highly flammable liquid accelerants upon detonation, according to a statement issued Monday by Nicholas Haysom, head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Haysom stated that “these indiscriminate attacks on civilians are causing significant casualties and horrific injuries,” warning that “South Sudan is on the brink of another civil war.”
Analysts indicate that Kiir has taken steps in recent months to sideline Machar by promoting new government officials without consulting him.
On Monday, the U.S. State Department urged Kiir and Machar to “engage in direct dialogue to de-escalate violence.” It stated on X (formerly Twitter) that “attacks by non-state militias, government-supported airstrikes, and the promotion of sanctioned officials to high positions are all deeply troubling.”
South Sudan is among the poorest countries globally. UNICEF reported Monday that it is experiencing its worst cholera outbreak since independence, with approximately 700 deaths over six months, including many children.
