JUBA, South Sudan — The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has urgently called on all parties involved in South Sudan’s escalating conflict to de-escalate tensions, warning that the intensifying violence is exacerbating the country’s already dire humanitarian situation and threatening its fragile peace process.
Since early May, clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) have intensified, particularly in Fangak, Jonglei State, and Tonga County, Upper Nile.
According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), these hostilities have resulted in at least 75 civilian deaths, 78 injuries, and the displacement of thousands. Civilian areas, including a medical facility operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), have been targeted in the attacks .
The conflict’s escalation follows the May 3 bombing of an MSF hospital and pharmacy in Old Fangak, which killed at least seven people and injured over twenty.
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan condemned the attack as a deliberate act that may constitute a war crime .
The deteriorating security situation has raised concerns about the viability of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
The arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar in March 2025 on allegations of instigating rebellion has further strained the peace process, with the SPLM-IO declaring the agreement collapsed following his detention .
