South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Jenifer James
The embassies of Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with the European Union (EU), on Monday condemned the bombing of the MSF hospital and other civilian sites in Fangak County, Jonglei State.
In a joint statement, the embassies and the Delegation of the European Union denounced the attack on the MSF hospital and civilian infrastructure in the area.
“We echo the African Union Commission Chairperson’s call for accountability. All parties share responsibility to end the violence throughout the country and protect civilians and aid workers. It is time for South Sudan’s leaders to prioritize their people,” the statement read.
According to MSF, the assault began early Saturday morning when two helicopter gunships dropped bombs on the hospital’s pharmacy. The attack, which occurred around 4:30 a.m., killed at least seven people and injured 20 others, including patients and caregivers, one of whom was an MSF staff member already inside the facility at the time of the bombing.
“At 8 a.m., we received around 20 wounded individuals at our hospital in Old Fangak, including four in critical condition,” said Mamman Mustapha, MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan. “One patient and two caregivers, including one of our staff, who were already inside the hospital were injured in the bombing. Patients who were not in critical condition fled the facility.”
Mustapha described the extent of the damage as catastrophic. “The bombing of our hospital in Old Fangak has resulted in significant destruction, including the complete destruction of the pharmacy, which was burned to the ground,” he said. “This is where all our medical supplies for the hospital and our outreach activities were stored, severely compromising our ability to provide care.”
He emphasized that MSF had previously shared the geolocations of its facilities with all parties involved in the conflict, underscoring the protected status of the hospital under international humanitarian law.
“Old Fangak Hospital is the only hospital in Fangak County, serving a population of over 110,000 people who already have extremely limited access to healthcare,” Mustapha added. “We call on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including health workers, patients, and health facilities. Hospitals must never be targeted.”
Local authorities also condemned the attack and appealed for renewed dialogue. Fangak County Commissioner Biel Boutros Biel expressed his sorrow and frustration during a public address over the weekend.
“This is the country we fought for, a country our fathers died for. We will not accept our cities being destroyed in this way,” Biel said. “I appeal to the government of South Sudan to return to the negotiation table. If the government continues to kill civilians, the cycle of violence will persist. The spirit of revenge will grow, and the social fabric of our nation will be further torn apart.”
He further warned against targeting individuals based on political affiliation or ethnicity, stating, “We ask the government to stop the killing agenda and the targeting of people based on their identity.”
The bombing comes amid renewed concerns over escalating violence in South Sudan, despite repeated peace agreements. The international community is now urging urgent action to prevent further humanitarian catastrophe.
