On March 18, 2025, South Sudan’s ongoing conflict took a deadly turn as an airstrike by the country’s air force killed at least 19 people in the eastern region of Nasir, near the Ethiopian border. The attack targeted a volatile area where government forces have been clashing with the White Army, an ethnic militia primarily composed of Nuer youths.
Residents reported that the airstrike occurred late Sunday night, contradicting the government’s claim that it happened on Monday morning. The bombing left a trail of devastation, with local community leader Kang Wan stating that 15 people died instantly, while others succumbed to severe injuries later. “All of them got burned, everything got burned,” Wan told Reuters. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) confirmed that its hospital in nearby Ulang received three wounded individuals, two of whom died from severe burns.
The violence comes less than two weeks after government troops withdrew from Nasir following intense fighting with the White Army. The militia, which previously allied with First Vice President Riek Machar’s forces during the 2013-2018 civil war, has been accused by the government of collaborating with Machar’s party again. However, Machar’s party has denied any involvement in the recent clashes.
The airstrike is believed to be retaliation for a March 7 incident in which a South Sudanese general and approximately 27 soldiers were killed. Their U.N. evacuation helicopter came under fire while attempting to rescue them from Nasir. Nasir County Commissioner James Gatluak Lew, an ally of Machar, suggested that the government forces were seeking revenge for the deadly assault.
Amid rising tensions, Uganda confirmed the deployment of special forces to South Sudan’s capital, Juba, to “secure it.” While the South Sudanese government initially denied the presence of Ugandan troops, Information Minister Michael Makuei later admitted that Ugandan army units were in the country to support national forces as needed.
The renewed violence has sparked fears of a wider conflict, potentially reigniting the horrors of South Sudan’s previous civil war. As tensions escalate, the international community watches closely, urging restraint and dialogue to prevent further bloodshed in the already war-torn nation.
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