An airstrike in Nasir, South Sudan, on Sunday resulted in civilian casualties and damage, amid rising tensions between factions loyal to President Kiir and Vice President Machar. Local officials allege the national army conducted the strike in retaliation for recent clashes. The event raises fears of renewed conflict in the region.
On Sunday evening, an airstrike struck the town of Nasir in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, reportedly resulting in civilian casualties and extensive fires, according to local officials and witnesses. This strike comes amid rising tensions between factions loyal to President Salva Kiir and those aligned with First Vice President Riek Machar. Local commissioner Gatluak Lew Thiep reported that multiple bombs were dropped around 11:40 PM, leading to significant destruction, although precise casualty figures have yet to be verified.
Thiep, who supports Machar, alleged that the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) conducted the airstrike as retaliation for recent clashes in Nasir. He noted that victims were being treated in hospitals and remarked that both the extent of injuries and fatalities remained unconfirmed. Additionally, Thiep claimed that Longechuk County experienced bombings on the same day, although details about that incident were not immediately available.
Witnesses and a local armed youth commander confirmed the bombing, with video evidence showing flames consuming properties in Nasir. Commander Tet Chuol Gatkuoth acknowledged the airstrike but stated that damage assessments were still underway, emphasizing the situation’s fluidity. SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang was unavailable for comments regarding the attack.
This airstrike occurred following several days of escalating tensions, particularly after Defence Minister Gen. Chol Thon Balok expressed intentions to reclaim Nasir during a recent funeral for an SSPDF commander who died in a previous conflict in the area. Nasir, perceived as a strategic location near the Ethiopian border, was taken by the White Army militia on March 4. This group is accused of having affiliations with Machar, leading to increased fears of a resurgence in conflict between Kiir and Machar, who previously engaged in a civil war from 2013 to 2018.
Moreover, violence and insecurity have disturbed the fragile unity government established through a 2018 peace accord, with Kiir’s government reportedly arresting several associates of Machar in Juba, thereby further straining the power-sharing agreement. The conflict in Nasir has become a critical flashpoint since the White Army’s capture of an SSPDF base earlier in March.
The recent airstrike in Nasir underscores the deteriorating security situation in South Sudan, particularly amid escalating tensions between rival political factions. The civilian casualties reported and subsequent accusations of retaliatory military actions reflect the fragile state of the nation, already postured on the brink of conflict after years of civil war. Continued violence and political maneuvering could further destabilize the fragile peace established by the 2018 agreement.
Original Source: www.radiotamazuj.org
