Is a new civil war on the horizon?

"Since the end of 2025, the security situation in South Sudan, the youngest country in Africa, has sharply deteriorated, raising fears of a new civil war. Jonglei State, located near the Ethiopian border, has been particularly hard-hit by violence. The renewed fighting threatens to undermine the 2018 peace agreement between the government and opposition forces.
Intense clashes have erupted between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and the opposition factions of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-in-Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) across Jonglei State, Upper Nile State, and Unity State, as well as in parts of Equatoria.

In late December 2025 and early January 2026, SPLM/A-IO, alongside allied forces primarily composed of Nuer militias known as the White Army, seized several key cities and government positions in northern Jonglei State, forcing the SSPDF to retreat. Shortly thereafter, the opposition called for a march on Juba. On January 25, the SSPDF announced the launch of Operation Enduring Peace and ordered the evacuation of civilians and UN Mission in South Sudan personnel from Nyirol, Uror, and Akobo counties, designating them as combat zones.
The main clashes erupted on January 26 on the outskirts of the heavily populated city of Yuai in eastern Jonglei State. While the SSPDF managed to capture some villages, the opposition has retained control over the city. By early February, the SSPDF had claimed “victory” and recaptured certain positions; however, the SPLM/A-IO described this as a “tactical withdrawal” to regroup.
Both sides employed heavy weaponry, including tanks, during these confrontations; during the course of combat, huts were burned and weapons seized.
This latest surge of violence comes amid preparations for the country’s first-ever general parliamentary elections, planned for December 2026. It was preceded by a series of contentious decisions by South Sudan President Salva Kiir, including the arrest of South Sudan First Vice President Riek Machar in March 2025 on charges of treason and involvement in killings linked to the takeover of an SSPDF base by the White Army, as well as the dismissal of Machar’s wife, Angelina Teny, from her post as Minister of Interior in early 2026.
Machar’s supporters view these developments as a blatant violation of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), particularly its provisions regarding power-sharing.
The conflict flared up in the capital, Juba, and rapidly spread to other regions. Soon, it evolved into an ethnic conflict: the Dinka people, loyal to Kiir, clashed with the Nuer people, who supported Machar. Both groups belong to the Nilotic ethnic group and make up the largest segments of South Sudan’s population (the Dinka comprise about 35% and the Nuer around 15% of the country’s population)." RT

Tensions rise in Africa’s youngest nation

"South Sudan’s army has ordered civilians and personnel from the UN mission (UNMISS) and humanitarian organizations to evacuate three counties in Jonglei, the country’s largest state, as it prepares for an operation targeting opposition forces.

Jonglei has experienced the fiercest fighting in Africa’s youngest country in recent months, with clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) described by the UN as the most intense since 2017.
SPLA-IO forces, aligned to South Sudan’s suspended Vice President Riek Machar, captured the town of Pajut in northern Jonglei in mid-January, bringing the state capital Bor into closer range of their offensive.
In a statement on Sunday, SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang announced the “imminent” launch of ‘Operation Enduring Peace’ and directed all civilians in SPLA-IO-held areas of Uror, Nyirol, and Akobo to immediately evacuate to nearby government-controlled areas for their safety." AfricaNews

Ethiopia Confirms First Outbreak of Marburg Virus After Testing

"Ethiopia confirmed its first outbreak of Marburg virus disease after sending samples from a

cluster of suspected cases of viral hemorrhagic fever for testing earlier this week.
The virus is the same strain reported in previous outbreaks in other East African nations, the World Health Organization said late Friday. Nine cases, including health workers, have been reported in Ethiopia’s southern region near South Sudan. The WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said Ethiopia moved quickly to identify the virus and begin containment efforts." Bloomberg

70 killed in attack on hospital as Sudan war escalates

"Around 70 people were killed in an attack on a hospital in Sudan's city of El Fasher. The attack targeted the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital, which local officials blame on the rebel group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

This incident comes as the civil war in Sudan intensifies, with the RSF suffering apparent losses to Sudanese military forces. On Saturday, army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan appeared near a burning oil refinery north of Khartoum, which his forces claimed to have seized from the RSF.
Saudi Arabia condemned the attack, calling it a violation of international law.
Meanwhile, neighboring South Sudan has suspended access to social media platforms for at least 30 days due to the circulation of videos showing alleged killings of South Sudanese nationals in Sudan. This decision aims to prevent further violence and unrest within South Sudan." AfricanNews

Ukrainian drone strike injures foreign students from eight countries

"A Ukrainian

military drone strike near the Russian city of Elabuga on Tuesday has left
students from eight foreign countries injured. The attack has left a total of 14 people wounded. Citizens of Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Congo, Kenya, Nigeria and South Sudan” were among them." RT

UN Food Chief Halved Refugee Meal Rations As Global Hunger Crisis Worsens

"Food riot risks continue to soar worldwide as the head of the food-aid branch of the United

Nations halved meal rations for refugees. 

On Monday, David Beasley, director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), released a statement detailing "the heartbreaking decision to cut food rations for refugees who rely on us for their survival."

"As global hunger soars way beyond the resources available to feed all the families who desperately need WFP's help, we are being forced to make the heartbreaking decision to cut food rations for refugees who rely on us for their survival," Beasley said. 

Beasley pointed out that WFP already "significantly reduced" rations across its operating areas, indicating cuts up to 50% are affecting 75% of all refugees supported by WFP in Eastern Africa, including Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda." ZH