Africa-Press. Doctors Without Borders, a French organization, has accused the South Sudanese government of obstructing humanitarian aid from reaching opposition-controlled areas. It stated that all parties involved in the ongoing conflict in this impoverished country are exploiting aid for political and military purposes.
The intensity of clashes between the army and fighters loyal to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army – in Opposition, led by the detained former First Vice President Riek Machar, has escalated since last year, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes in opposition-controlled regions.
In a report, Doctors Without Borders noted a “worrying trend” of access denial, repeated coercive messages, and evacuation orders issued by the South Sudanese government directed at civilians and humanitarian organizations in contested areas controlled by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army – in Opposition. At the same time, aid is being exploited to achieve military and political objectives by all parties in the conflict.
Doctors Without Borders stated, “Attempts to force NGOs to move aid to and from specific areas deprive entire communities of lifesaving assistance.”
The medical charity also reported that attacks on its facilities, including the bombing of two hospitals in May 2025 and February of this year, have deprived approximately 762,000 people of healthcare.
During the February bombing, which targeted a hospital in Eastern Jonglei State, Doctors Without Borders indicated that the South Sudanese government forces are the only armed group in the country capable of conducting airstrikes.
The escalation of violence, including reports of massacres against civilians by soldiers, opposing fighters, and allied militias, prompted the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, to warn earlier this year that the country is entering a “dangerous phase.”
Doctors Without Borders reported that it treated over 1,800 individuals affected by violence during January and February of this year, which accounts for about 30% of the total number of patients it received last year. The organization explained that patients received treatment for various injuries resulting from gunfire, explosions, sexual assaults, and other attacks.
A peace agreement in 2018 ended a five-year civil war in South Sudan between forces allied with President Salva Kiir and those loyal to Machar, resulting in approximately 400,000 deaths.
Machar’s arrest last year raised concerns about the country slipping back into war, as he and twenty others were charged with treason related to militia raids in the northeast, all of whom deny the charges.
