U.N. envoy warns South Sudan risks relapse into civil war as violence, foreign troop deployments rise

Summary

Nicholas Haysom, the U.N. special representative for South Sudan, warned that recent militia attacks, aerial bombardment and the deployment of foreign forces risk plunging South Sudan back into civil war; he said at least 63,000 people have fled and U.N. evacuation helicopters were fired upon during medevac missions.

Nicholas Haysom, the U.N. special representative for South Sudan and head of the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), told reporters that the security and political situation in South Sudan “has significantly deteriorated” and that the country is “on the edge of a relapse into civil war.”

Haysom said fighting escalated after the White Army militia overran barracks previously held by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) in Nasir on March 4. He said communities across the country’s Upper Nile region have faced persistent aerial bombardment using improvised devices — including barrel bombs “allegedly containing a highly flammable liquid” — that have caused significant casualties and severe burn injuries among civilians, including women and children. “At least 63,000 people have fled the area,” Haysom said.

Haysom reported further mobilization of White Army forces and SSPDF units in…

U.N. envoy warns South Sudan risks relapse into civil war as violence, foreign troop deployments rise

Summary

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