The South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) have launched fresh bombardments on SPLM-IO bases in Kubuur Ngap and Achot, Western Bahr el Ghazal State, near Wau, early Tuesday.
This comes just a day after the United Nations Commission on Human Rights warned that South Sudan is teetering on the brink of a full-scale return to war.
Local sources report that the attacks targeted opposition positions held by forces loyal to the SPLM-IO, though details on casualties remain unclear.
Both SSPDF and SPLM-IO are yet to issue official statements regarding the renewed fighting.
On Monday, UN Commission cautioned that South Sudan’s escalating political crisis is fuelling renewed armed violence, worsening human rights abuses, and threatening regional stability.
The Commission urged the African Union and the UN Security Council to take swift and coordinated measures to prevent a relapse into widespread conflict.
The renewed clashes also come against the backdrop of growing political tension in Juba, where SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar and seven senior members of his movement are currently on trial before a government-formed court.
The trial has sparked controversy, with critics describing it as a politically motivated process aimed at silencing opposition voices rather than promoting justice or reconciliation.
As diplomatic pressure mounts, the latest military escalation in Western Bahr el Ghazal, coupled with political prosecutions in the capital underscores mounting fears that South Sudan is once again sliding toward a devastating war, despite repeated regional efforts to restore peace and stability.
