The United Nations has reported violent clashes in northern South Sudan, resulting in civilian casualties and the injury of a UN peacekeeper.
The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) disclosed in a statement on Tuesday that fighting erupted on February 14 and 15 in Nassir, Upper Nile State, near the Sudanese border, between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and “armed youth.”
While the UN did not specify the identity of the armed groups involved, it confirmed that heavy weaponry was used, leading to multiple deaths and injuries among civilians and combatants. A UN peacekeeper on patrol was also wounded during mortar shelling.
Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS, condemned the violence and called for restraint, stressing the need to protect UN peacekeepers.
The UN also warned of rising tensions in Western Equatoria, where “organized forces” are engaged in hostilities, though further details were not provided.
South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011, has struggled with instability, political unrest, and violent clashes. A 2018 peace agreement mandated the unification of armed forces ahead of long-delayed elections, but UNMISS has noted that this process remains incomplete.
