South Sudanese government forces have reclaimed control of Nasir, a strategic and symbolic town in the northeastern Upper Nile State, amid a worsening political and military crisis. The move marks a significant development in the fragile power-sharing arrangement between President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar, which now appears to be on the verge of collapse.
Army spokesman Lul Ruai Koang confirmed the operation in a statement released on Sunday, describing the recapture of Nasir as a “re-liberation” of the historical town. The offensive, supported by the Ugandan army, comes after fierce clashes with Machar-aligned forces and their allies from the White Army, a loosely organized group of armed Nuer youth.
In early March, an estimated 6,000 White Army fighters stormed a government military encampment in Nasir, killing a senior general and numerous soldiers. The incident signaled a dangerous escalation of tensions, further unraveling the 2018 peace agreement that ended a devastating five-year civil war in which around 400,000 people were killed.
The government also recently announced the recapture of Ulang, another town in Upper Nile State long held by Machar’s forces. These military gains by President Kiir come amid reports of a broader crackdown on Machar’s political and military allies. The Vice-President himself has been under house arrest since late March, with several of his close associates reportedly detained.
The resurgence of violence has raised alarms among international observers. According to the United Nations, clashes since March have claimed nearly 200 lives and displaced approximately 125,000 people. Human Rights Watch has accused government forces of using improvised incendiary weapons and committing atrocities that killed almost 60 civilians over a month-long period in Upper Nile.
The renewed fighting underscores the fragility of South Sudan’s peace process and the deep-rooted ethnic and political divisions that continue to threaten stability in the world’s youngest nation. As Kiir tightens his grip on contested areas, fears grow that the country could slip back into full-scale civil war unless a meaningful dialogue is urgently revived.
