South Sudan’s volatile politics flare as Machar’s role and rivalries surge again amid fighting and UN concerns. Born 1952, Nuer leader, longtime VP figure.
Since December fighting has displaced more than 280,000 people in eastern Jonglei state, South Sudan, and UN-verified reporting has shown hospitals overwhelmed. Opposition figures have said government forces have summarily arrested, tortured and killed at least 25 civilians in Pankor, Ayod county; AFP has verified graphic images linked to the incident but could not independently confirm location or timing.
South Sudan has seen a series of arrests targeting former officials, including a former finance minister, amid ongoing political and economic turmoil. The government claims these are non-political responses to financial irregularities, but tensions remain high as the country faces economic decline and renewed conflict.
At least 169 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in recent intercommunal violence in South Sudan's Ruweng region. The attack involved armed youths from Mayom County, with ongoing clashes linked to political instability and the fragile peace process. UN peacekeepers sheltered civilians amid the violence.
Recent clashes in Jonglei State have led to attacks on MSF facilities, with at least 169 people killed in mass graves. Staff are unaccounted for amid ongoing insecurity, as violence worsens since December, displacing hundreds of thousands and disrupting healthcare services.
Fighting in South Sudan's Jonglei state has intensified, prompting a mass evacuation from Akobo as government forces prepare for an assault. Civilians, aid workers, and UN personnel are fleeing amid ongoing clashes and reports of troop movements, worsening the humanitarian crisis and threatening fragile peace efforts.
A deadly attack at a gold mine in South Sudan's Central Equatoria State has resulted in at least 73 deaths and 25 injuries. The incident, believed to be carried out by opposition forces, highlights ongoing violence linked to resource conflicts since the country's independence in 2011.
Recent weeks have seen aid access in South Sudan's conflict zones blocked, leading to starvation and deaths in communities like Nyatim. Authorities deny relief requests, and aid has been weaponized amid ongoing fighting. Civilians are suffering without support, as violence and obstruction continue today.
Updated assessments show 7.8 million South Sudan residents, 1.24 million in Lebanon, and rising numbers in DRC, Yemen, and Gaza facing high to extreme hunger. Conflict, climate shocks, displacement, and funding shortfalls are driving a widening global food-security crisis with famine feared in several areas.