The United Nations (UN) expressed deep concern on Friday over the escalating clashes between South Sudan’s military and opposition forces in a southern state, where displaced civilians told AFP they were left without food.
The world’s youngest nation has been plagued by insecurity and instability for many years. Recent fighting between factions loyal to President Salva Kiir and his longtime rival, Vice-President Riek Machar, has raised fears of a return to full-scale conflict.
International observers are worried that the violence could mark the start of a new civil war, echoing the five-year conflict that claimed around 400,000 lives.
The war had been ended by a 2018 peace deal that saw Kiir and Machar join forces in a unity government, but the fragile agreement now seems to be falling apart.
Clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in Opposition (SPLA-IO) in the neighbouring Morobo and Yei counties of Central Equatoria State have caused civilian displacement and casualties, according to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
This region, which includes the capital Juba, was divided under the 2018 peace agreement into areas controlled by government and opposition forces.
Pro-Machar forces condemned recent government attacks on a military cantonment in the area, accusing the SSPDF of trying to turn the counties into operational zones and warning civilians to flee as military preparations for conflict intensified.
The UN has urged an immediate cessation of hostilities, emphasising the already fragile political and security conditions in the region.
Morobo County Commissioner Charles Data Bullen reported that the situation in the area remains volatile, with 7,000 people being displaced daily, the majority of whom have sought refuge in Morobo town from surrounding sub-districts.
Margret Ileli, 28, described how she fled the area with her family after hearing gunshots on Tuesday afternoon. “We started running, leaving everything behind,” she told AFP. Now sheltering in Morobo town, she said, “I am confused, and I don’t know what to do next.”
Charles Likambo, 30, was also displaced with his family of five. He explained that they had to abandon their crops and goats. “My family and I have not received any food assistance, and my children keep crying because they are hungry,” he said, urging humanitarian organisations to intervene.
The ongoing violence has already displaced more than 125,000 people since March, with over 180 people killed and more than 250 injured, according to the UN.
These clashes come amid rising political tensions, with Machar having been placed under house arrest last month.
