Riek Machar is back in the news as South Sudan’s conflict worsens, risking civil war again. He’s a key opposition leader and former VP.
South Sudan's army announced Operation Enduring Peace to recapture towns in Jonglei, amid renewed conflict and a controversial military order to kill civilians. The operation follows recent territorial gains by opposition forces loyal to Riek Machar, raising fears of a return to full-scale civil war.
Fighting in South Sudan's Jonglei State has intensified, causing widespread displacement, attacks on healthcare facilities, and disrupting aid. The UN reports over 370,000 displaced this year, with escalating violence threatening to undermine peace efforts and worsen humanitarian conditions.
In South Sudan, a hospital in Lankien was attacked, marking the 10th assault on MSF facilities in 12 months. The hospital was evacuated before the strike, but its main warehouse was destroyed, and supplies lost. A separate looting incident occurred in Pieri, leaving communities without healthcare amid ongoing conflict.
As of March 2026, South Sudan faces escalating violence between government forces backed by Uganda and opposition groups loyal to Riek Machar. Joint aerial bombardments have targeted civilian areas, especially Nuer communities, causing widespread casualties and displacement. The conflict threatens the fragile 2018 peace deal, with over 280,000 displaced and severe humanitarian crises unfolding.
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.
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.
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.
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.