South Sudan Opposition Faces Renewed Government Military Offensive As Civil War Looms

In a concerning escalation of violence, government forces in South Sudan have launched a fresh military offensive against opposition groups, intensifying fears that the nation may be on the brink of another civil war.

The attack, which began last week, saw the government forces retake the strategically significant town of Nasir in Upper Nile State from the White Army militia, a group connected to opposition leader Riek Machar.

The military operation, marked by intense airstrikes and bombardment, has already resulted in civilian casualties, with at least 17 reported dead in nearby villages.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), led by Machar, has denied involvement with the White Army, but the recent military activities underscore the mounting political tensions within the opposition. The offensive follows the controversial house arrest of Machar in March, further destabilizing the fragile peace established by the 2018 peace agreement.

This peace deal, which was intended to end the long-running conflict between the government and opposition forces, now faces a real threat of collapse.

International bodies are raising alarms about the renewed violence. Nicholas Haysom, the U.N. special envoy to South Sudan, warned the Security Council that the current situation mirrors the conditions that led to the devastating civil wars in 2013 and 2016, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. “The peace agreement is in peril,” Haysom said, urging for swift diplomatic efforts to avert a full-scale return to conflict.

The United Nations has also reported that the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan is worsening, with over 9 million people in urgent need of aid. Of these, 7.7 million face acute hunger, and more than half a million children are at risk of severe malnutrition. As fighting continues, the situation on the ground is expected to deteriorate further, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence.

Adding to the complexity of the situation, Uganda has deployed special forces to South Sudan in support of President Salva Kiir’s government. The Ugandan military stated that its forces were sent to protect the capital, Juba, from potential rebel advances, underscoring the regional ramifications of South Sudan’s internal conflict.

While the full scope of the government’s military campaign is still unfolding, the international community is calling for immediate intervention to prevent a relapse into full-scale civil war. With a fragile peace at risk, South Sudan’s future remains uncertain as both the government and opposition forces continue their military operations, leaving millions of civilians caught in the crossfire.