At least seven civilians were killed and 20 injured after a hospital and market were bombed in Old Fangak, Jonglei State, amid growing fears that South Sudan is sliding back into civil war, according to the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
The attack, which occurred over the weekend, involved helicopter gunships and a drone, MSF said. The helicopters reportedly dropped bombs on the pharmacy section of the only functioning hospital in Fangak County—a facility serving over 110,000 people—before opening fire on the town for about 30 minutes. A drone strike later hit a local market, compounding the devastation. MSF confirmed that the hospital was clearly marked with international medical insignia and that its coordinates had been shared with all warring parties. The organization condemned the incident as a “clear violation of international humanitarian law.” All medical supplies were destroyed in the blaze.
No official response has been issued by the South Sudanese government. However, MSF spokesperson Mamman Mustapha told the BBC that local witnesses identified the aircraft as government-operated helicopters. The bombing occurred just hours after army chief Paul Majok Nang vowed military retaliation for the hijacking of several river barges, an act he blamed on a militia allegedly linked to Vice President Riek Machar—who was arrested in March alongside key allies on accusations of plotting a new rebellion.
The incident follows mounting political and ethnic tensions, particularly between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and Machar, whose rivalry previously triggered a devastating civil war from 2013 to 2018 that killed over 400,000 people and displaced 2.5 million. Despite a 2018 peace agreement that created a unity government, many provisions—including unified national armed forces and elections—remain unfulfilled. The fragile peace has further unraveled in 2024, following renewed clashes between government troops and the White Army militia, formerly aligned with Machar, particularly in Upper Nile and Unity states.
UN envoy Nicholas Haysom has recently warned that South Sudan is “teetering on the brink” of full-scale conflict once again. Rights groups and humanitarian organizations are now calling for an immediate halt to attacks on civilian areas and renewed international efforts to stabilize the country.
