South Sudan’s government insists it is “not at war” despite heavy clashes with rebel forces that have displaced over 180,000 people in Jonglei state.
JUBA: South Sudan’s government insisted it was “not at war” on Tuesday after days of heavy fighting against rebel forces that has displaced more than 180,000 people.
Fighting erupted in Jonglei state, north of the capital Juba, in late December. The clashes are between factions loyal to President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival, Riek Machar.
“The ongoing security operation in northern Jonglei State is a lawful and necessary measure aimed at halting the advance of rebel forces, restoring public order and safeguarding civilians,” Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny told reporters.
“The country is not at war. We are only stopping the advancement” of the opposition forces, he said.
South Sudan has been beset by civil war, poverty and massive corruption since its formation in 2011. Kiir and Machar fought a brutal civil war from 2013 to 2018.
The subsequent peace deal has been unravelling over the past year, though Ateny insisted “the peace agreement has not collapsed.”
Machar has been kicked out of the power-sharing government and is on trial for “crimes against humanity.” Since late December, his forces have seized parts of Jonglei.
Witnesses and NGOs report a violent government response, including the “indiscriminate” use of barrel bombs on civilian areas. A senior general, Johnson Olony, was filmed ordering troops to “spare no lives” in Jonglei.
Government spokesman Ateny said this “might have been a slip of the tongue.” The United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA said South Sudanese authorities estimate over 180,000 people are displaced in Jonglei.
Amid reports of blocks on humanitarian access, NGOs like Doctors Without Borders (MSF) say they have struggled to supply teams. This has led to “catastrophic” shortages in the region.
“What we are witnessing in Jonglei is not an isolated security incident; it is a dangerous escalation which is manifesting in other parts of the country as well,” said Barney Afako of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan.
