At least 75 civilians have been killed and 78 injured since February in renewed fighting between South Sudan’s army and forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar, according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. The clashes have also displaced around 125,000 people and caused widespread destruction, including attacks on civilian areas and a medical facility run by Doctors Without Borders.
The violence marks a serious breakdown of the fragile peace established by a 2018 power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and Machar. Tensions escalated further after Machar’s arrest in March, with his SPLA-IO forces and allied militias launching counter-offensives in Jonglei State and Upper Nile regions.
Turk condemned the use of indiscriminate aerial and ground attacks by the South Sudanese army and raised concerns over arbitrary arrests, including those of opposition politicians, MPs, and civilians. He also warned about rising hate speech and urged all parties to recommit to the 2018 peace deal to prevent a return to full-scale conflict in the already fragile nation.
