South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
At least seven people have died and 20 others have been injured following a bombing at a hospital and market in Old Fangak, according to the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Concerns are rising about a potential return to civil war.
MSF reported that helicopter gunships targeted the pharmacy of the hospital it operates in Old Fangak, located in Jonglei state, causing a fire that destroyed the facility. The attack continued for 30 minutes as the helicopters fired on the town. A drone subsequently bombed a local market, MSF said.
This hospital is the only one serving Fangak County, which has a population of over 110,000. All of its medical supplies were also destroyed in the attack.
The charity condemned the bombing, which resulted in 20 injuries, as a “clear violation of international humanitarian law.”
“Old Fangak Hospital is the only hospital in Fangak County, serving a population of over 110,000 people who already had extremely limited access to healthcare. We are still assessing the full extent of the damage and the impact on our ability to provide care, but this attack clearly means people will now be even further cut off from receiving life-saving treatment. We call on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure—this includes health workers, patients, and health facilities. Hospitals must never be targeted, and the lives of civilians must be protected,” said Mamman Mustapha, MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan.
Biel Boutros, the Commissioner of Fangak County, said that the aerial bombardment in Old Fangak town has caused extensive damage and resulted in four deaths, including a nine-month-old child.
“We confirmed four people killed: two young men, a nine-month-old child, and a 16-year-old girl. They were killed in their homes where the bombs fell,” Boutros told the Dawn in an interview on Sunday.
“My message to the national government is that they have to stop the use of violence. Violence against children is unacceptable. It is a violation of our constitution and the peace agreement,” he said.
Boutros revealed that the hospital and the market were the primary targets of the aerial bombardments, adding that women are now struggling to care for those nursing wounds in the hospital.
He also appealed to humanitarian agencies to assist the displaced civil population, noting that the main medical facility is damaged and those displaced are languishing under trees without food and water.
“In fact, this peace agreement is the only way forward for the country. If you look at the aerial bombardment, there has not been any report from the state about what is happening; it is a deliberate violation of the peace agreement,” he said.
Boutros asserted that local authorities, led by the office of the commissioner, are capable of addressing rising security issues, adding that such incidents should not escalate to the bombing of civilians.
“If issues arise, they will be brought to the attention of the commissioner, who will then call the concerned parties to settle the matter. We have done this several times with UN agencies,” he said.
The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) strongly condemns the attack on a market and a medical facility belonging to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Old Fangak, Jonglei State, on Saturday, May 3, 2025.
On Friday, the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) ordered the White Army and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) to unconditionally release hijacked barges, warning that failure to comply would result in punitive aerial and riverine actions.
