‘Fire Came from the Sky and Burned Them’ – Life on the Brink of Civil War in South Sudan
By Kalkidan Yibeltal, BBC Africa, Jonglei, South Sudan
– Thousands are fleeing the South Sudanese town of Akobo and neighboring areas as the army escalates strikes to regain territory.
– The UN warns of a potential resurgence of full-scale civil war in the world’s youngest nation.
Escaping the Violence
30-year-old Nyawan Koang, a mother of five, was caught between two warring factions. Her family trekked for two days to reach the dusty village of Duk after escaping Ayod, a remote pastoralist county in Jonglei state. There, armed clashes have intensified between the military and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO), which has been strengthening its foothold since early this year.
– We were wedged between two forces: the SPLA-IO and the government, Nyawan told the BBC. And their bullets kill us.
The government is attempting to reclaim territory from the SPLA-IO, aligned with First Vice-President Riek Machar, who has been suspended on allegations of plotting to overthrow President Salva Kiir. Machar has been under house arrest in Juba for a year, facing charges of murder and treason, which he denies.
Destruction and Displacement
As the SPLA-IO captures towns in Jonglei and surrounding states, they leave devastation behind, threatening Jonglei’s capital of Bor. Entire villages have been razed, civilians are indiscriminately targeted, and Nyawan’s family is among the more than 280,000 displaced by the recent violence.
– Nyawan’s parents died when an airstrike hit their thatched-roof home. Fire came from the sky and burned them, she recounted.
Thousands now seek refuge in Duk, where aid organizations are providing food and medical assistance. However, humanitarian needs are critical, and without a political resolution, more lives are at risk.
The Roots of Conflict
Fighting between President Salva Kiir’s forces and Machar’s SPLA-IO erupted in 2013, two years after South Sudan proclaimed independence. A 2018 peace agreement aimed to end a civil war that claimed nearly 400,000 lives but has been poorly implemented, leading to escalating tensions and sporadic violence.
– In January alone, the UN reported 189 civilian deaths in the renewed conflict. Volker Türk, head of the UN’s human rights body, noted, Civilians are bearing the brunt of indiscriminate attacks, including aerial bombardments and killings.
As Nyawan fled to Duk, she witnessed multiple bodies but could not determine which side was responsible. I don’t know who killed them, she said.
Government Accountability
The ongoing war between government forces and SPLA-IO fighters, supported by the White Army, is claiming innocent lives. Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny stated, There’s no army in the world that fights without civilians being caught in the crossfire. He emphasized that the government tries to minimize civilian involvement but admitted that it is difficult to prevent casualties.
However, some attacks seem premeditated. Government forces allegedly executed over 20 civilians, including women and the elderly, in Ayod last month. Following internal investigations, two platoons and their commanders are facing court martial.
This latest episode of violence follows President Kiir’s decision to terminate Machar’s position and several senior officials. Authorities claim it was due to Machar’s connections with the White Army, while his supporters view it as a breach of the power-sharing agreement.
Humanitarian Crisis
Like many displaced individuals in Duk, community leader Hoth Wan Kornyom has experienced personal loss; his brother was killed, and his house burned. The violence has caused parents to lose contact with their children, with uncertain reunions.
Neyasebit, 27, who also fled Uror County, reported that airstrikes killed her brother-in-law and younger brother. They were just staying at home, she said, stating that both factions are to blame for the violence.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), 60% of Jonglei’s two million residents face hunger, while 10 million out of 14 million people in South Sudan require food aid.
– South Sudan is one of the world’s most complex environments for humanitarian assistance, said WFP’s acting country director Adham Affandy. Challenges such as conflict, natural disasters, and a poorly developed road network complicate relief efforts.
Since its independence in 2011, South Sudan has endured cycles of violence and regional instability, with over a million refugees crossing from Sudan amid its ongoing civil war. Observers now fear that the fragile peace of the 2018 power-sharing agreement hangs by a thread – a situation that countless South Sudanese dread.
– South Sudanese people are exhausted, Affandy noted. They want peace.