An airstrike by South Sudan killed 19 people in Nasir, raising fears of renewed civil war amid escalating clashes with the White Army militia. The government accuses First Vice President Riek Machar of collaborating with this militia. This incident follows the loss of soldiers during a U.N. evacuation attempt and a dispute over the presence of Ugandan troops in South Sudan.
An airstrike conducted by the South Sudanese airforce in Nasir resulted in the deaths of at least 19 individuals, intensifying existing tensions with the White Army militia. This attack occurred less than two weeks after government forces withdrew from the area amidst ongoing clashes with the ethnic militia, raising concerns of a potential resurgence of civil war.
The ongoing confrontations in Nasir, situated near the Ethiopian border, involve the national forces and the White Army, predominantly composed of armed youths from the Nuer ethnic group. There are fears that the situation could rekindle the devastating civil war that transpired from 2013 to 2018, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
The South Sudanese government has implicated First Vice President Riek Machar, himself a Nuer, in collusion with the White Army, which had allied with Machar’s forces during previous conflicts against President Salva Kiir’s predominantly Dinka troops. However, Machar’s party firmly denies any such connection.
A tragic incident occurred on March 7, whereby approximately 27 soldiers, including a South Sudanese general, were killed when a U.N. helicopter attempting a rescue operation was attacked. Following the recent airstrike, Information Minister Michael Makuei confirmed the bombing took place on Monday morning, as reported by various sources.
Kang Wan, a leader in Nasir, revealed that most victims died from the initial bombing while others later succumbed to their injuries. Witnesses reported that numerous bodies were burned, indicating the severity of the situation. Medical aid organization Medecins Sans Frontieres noted that their nearby hospital received three wounded individuals, two of whom were pronounced dead upon arrival due to severe burns suffered in the attack.
Commissioner of Nasir County, James Gatluak Lew, who supports Machar, indicated that the actions of the South Sudanese armed forces may have been retaliatory in nature due to the prior helicopter assault. In a related development, Uganda announced the deployment of special forces to South Sudan’s capital, Juba, for security purposes, a claim that the South Sudanese government initially refuted. However, Minister Makuei later acknowledged the presence of some Ugandan troops in the country to assist the national forces as needed.
This article outlines a recent airstrike in South Sudan that has exacerbated tensions with the White Army militia, indicating the potential for renewed civil unrest. The deaths of at least 19 individuals during this incident, alongside the historical context of the civil war, highlight the fragile stability in the region. The involvement of Ugandan forces further complicates this volatile situation, necessitating careful monitoring of developments.
Original Source: www.indiatoday.in
