Sat May 03 14:59:04 UTC 2025: ## South Sudan on Brink of Civil War as Hospital Bombing Kills Seven
**JUBA, South Sudan** – South Sudan is teetering on the edge of renewed civil war, following a devastating attack on a hospital in Old Fangak that left at least seven dead and 20 injured. The attack, confirmed by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), destroyed the only functioning hospital and pharmacy in the area, leaving the population vulnerable.
MSF condemned the bombing as a clear violation of international law, urging an immediate halt to the violence and protection for civilians and healthcare facilities. Eyewitnesses report further strikes near a local market, causing widespread panic and displacement.
The attack is the latest escalation in rising tensions between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those allied with First Vice President Riek Machar, who is currently under house arrest. Old Fangak, located in an area historically associated with Machar’s opposition party, has become a focal point of the conflict.
The UN has repeatedly warned of an impending civil war as violence between rival factions intensifies. This recent surge in violence follows dozens of government airstrikes, supported by Ugandan troops, targeting opposition areas since March.
Multiple Western embassies, including the US, have issued a joint statement expressing deep concern over the deteriorating situation and urging President Kiir to release Machar from house arrest and engage in urgent dialogue to find a political solution. The postponement of elections, now scheduled for 2026, further exacerbates the instability.
The country’s history is marred by a bloody civil war that erupted after its independence in 2011, claiming over 40,000 lives before a fragile 2018 peace deal. The current escalation raises serious fears of a return to widespread conflict.
First Piper 