A devastating airstrike on Old Fangak County in Jonglei State over the weekend has drawn strong condemnation from the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC).
The bombing destroyed market and the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital, killing several civilians and injured many others, the charity provider, MSF said in a statement on Saturday.
In a statement seen by The Standard Zone, RJMEC described the aerial assault as a “gross violation” of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), warning that such actions jeopardize the fragile peace process and represent a serious setback to political dialogue.
“RJMEC reminds the parties to the agreement that the R-ARCSS explicitly prohibits any attacks on unarmed civilians and humanitarian agencies,” the commission stated.
According to the commission, attacks on civilian infrastructure, particularly humanitarian and medical facilities, threaten efforts to build lasting peace and could breach the ceasefire provisions enshrined in the peace agreement.
RJMEC urged the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) to launch a swift and thorough investigation into the incident. It also called on the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to provide the necessary logistical support to CTSAMVM for the mission to effectively carry out its mandate.
The condemnation follows reports that two helicopter gunships dropped explosives on the MSF-run hospital pharmacy, setting it ablaze, and targeted the nearby market. Mamman Mustapha, head of MSF’s mission in South Sudan, confirmed the assault.
“At around 7 am, a drone bombed the Old Fangak market. There have been at least seven deaths and 20 injuries. At 8 am, we received around 20 wounded people at our hospital in Old Fangak, including four in critical condition,” Mustapha said.
He stressed the significance of the hospital, noting it was the only medical facility serving over 110,000 people in Fangak County. “We strongly condemn this attack, which took place despite the geolocations of all MSF structures, including Old Fangak Hospital, being shared with all parties to the conflict,” he added.
The airstrike occurred just a day after the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) threatened retaliatory action in a statement on Friday, accusing the White Army and the SPLA-IO of hijacking barges and boats on the River Nile.
No entity has claimed the responsibility. However, the bombardment is a series of recent airstrikes that have claimed many lives in Ulang and parts of greater Upper Nile region, and leaving several others injured.
Efforts to reach SSPDF for comment was futile by the time of this publication.
Any attack on humanitarian provider, their assets, and civilian places is prohibited under international humanitarian law.
TRJMEC concluded its statement by calling on all peace partners to refrain from targeting civilians and humanitarian agencies, emphasizing the need to uphold the terms of the peace agreement and prioritize the protection of innocent lives.
