SOUTH SUDAN: Nasir Residents Plead For Aid After Violent Clashes

By Debora Akur Chol, South Sudan

A fragile calm has returned to Nasir following violent clashes between the Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and armed civilians.

However, local authorities are raising alarm over the dire humanitarian situation, with thousands displaced and in urgent need of food, water, and medical supplies.

The violence, which erupted last Friday and continued into Saturday, left at least five people dead and several others injured.

The fighting forced many residents to flee their homes, leaving the town largely deserted.

David Panom, acting coordinator for the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC), expressed concern for the displaced population and the lack of basic necessities.

“Approximately 18,000 people have sought refuge in nearby areas such as Kot, Mandeang, and Pananyang. There is no flour available, and the community is solely relying on fish for sustenance. The situation was already critical, but the events of February 14 have worsened it,” he stated.

One resident, Nyanath John, shared the community’s desperation. “We urgently need government assistance. Our situation is dire—we have no food, and we’re struggling to survive,” she said.

Tensions between the SSPDF and armed civilians in Nasir remain high.

In response to the unrest, the government has sent new troops to replace those stationed in the area for several years. However, this move has caused anxiety among local residents, who fear the incoming forces may target civilians and conduct a disarmament campaign.

The community has rejected the deployment of new forces, instead calling for a unified force to restore peace and stability.

South Sudan has yet to fully integrate its various armed groups into a single national army, a crucial element of the 2018 peace agreement that ended the country’s five-year civil war.

While the country has been formally at peace since the agreement, political tensions persist as South Sudan prepares for its first post-independence elections, scheduled for December 2026.