At least seven people have been killed and more than 20 injured following an attack on the town of Old Fangak in South Sudan, according to the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The group has strongly condemned the assault, which destroyed the only functioning hospital and pharmacy in the region, raising alarm over the country’s deteriorating security and growing fears of a return to full-scale civil war. In a statement issued on Saturday, MSF said, “We strongly condemn the deliberate bombing of our hospital in Old Fangak,” and described the incident as a flagrant breach of inter

At least seven people have been killed and more than 20 injured following an attack on the town of Old Fangak in South Sudan, according to the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The group has strongly condemned the assault, which destroyed the only functioning hospital and pharmacy in the region, raising alarm over the country’s deteriorating security and growing fears of a return to full-scale civil war. In a statement issued on Saturday, MSF said, “We strongly condemn the deliberate bombing of our hospital in Old Fangak,” and described the incident as a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law. The facility, which has been operational since 2014, served as a vital lifeline for the northern population of the country. Initially, MSF posted on social media platform X, calling for an immediate end to hostilities: “Stop the bombing. Protect civilians. Protect healthcare.” The group emphasized that the attack constituted “a clear violation of international law.” Read MSF's X post

here.

While the motive behind the attack remains unclear, The Associated Press reported that South Sudan’s military has not yet commented on the incident. Mamman Mustapha, MSF’s Head of Mission in South Sudan, told Al Jazeera from the capital Juba that two helicopter gunships were responsible for the attack. “They bombed the hospital and its medical supplies, and then continued shelling the town of Old Fangak,” he said. “The civilian population has fled, and the situation is quite horrific and catastrophic. We are quite shocked.” A more detailed statement from MSF revealed that the assault began around 4:30 a.m. local time (02:30 GMT), when two helicopter gunships dropped a bomb on the MSF pharmacy, igniting a blaze that destroyed the facility. The helicopters then fired on the town for approximately 30 minutes, MSF said, citing further casualties and injuries among the local community. Later in the day, additional air attacks reportedly struck near a market in Old Fangak, causing widespread panic and prompting a mass displacement of civilians, according to local witnesses.

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Mounting Political Tensions and Risk of Civil War

The attack comes amid heightened tensions between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those aligned with First Vice President Riek Machar, who is currently under house arrest accused of subversion. Old Fangak, located in Fangak County, is part of the Nuer ethnic heartland and is historically aligned with the opposition led by Machar. The region has become a flashpoint in what many fear could be a relapse into civil war. The United Nations has warned in recent weeks that South Sudan is at serious risk of descending once again into widespread conflict, as clashes between rival factions intensify. South Sudan has remained fragile since gaining independence in 2011. A civil war erupted shortly thereafter between factions loyal to Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and Machar, an ethnic Nuer. The fighting resulted in more than 40,000 deaths before a 2018 peace deal led to the formation of a national unity government. However, that fragile peace now appears to be unraveling. The hospital attack is part of a broader offensive by government forces against opposition-held areas. Since March, South Sudanese troops, reportedly supported by Ugandan soldiers, have conducted dozens of air raids across Upper Nile State, where many opposition groups are active. In a joint statement on Friday, several Western embassies—including that of the United States—expressed grave concern, stating that the political and security situation in South Sudan has “markedly worsened” in recent days. The statement urged President Kiir to release Machar from house arrest and return to political negotiations. “A return to dialogue urgently aimed at achieving a political solution is essential,” the embassies said. South Sudan’s long-delayed national election, originally scheduled for 2023, has already been postponed twice and is now tentatively set for 2026, further complicating hopes for stability and democratic transition.

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