Fresh fighting in South Sudan displaces thousands

(MENAFN) Fresh fighting in South Sudan has forced more than 180,000 people from their homes, with reports of indiscriminate barrel bomb attacks and civilians fleeing to swamps as the nation’s fragile peace collapses.

The young country has faced chronic war, corruption, and poverty since its independence in 2011. Violence has flared again in Jonglei state, north of the capital, Juba, as rival factions clash.

"I am stuck and if worse comes, the only safe place for me to go is the swamps," said Daniel Deng, 35, one of the thousands displaced by the fighting. He described intense battles in Duk county, where opposition forces briefly seized control before government troops reclaimed the area. "Many people were killed," he added, estimating around 300 fighters, a figure not independently verified.

A power-sharing deal between President Salva Kiir and former vice-president Riek Machar has effectively collapsed after Machar’s arrest last March; he is currently on trial for "crimes against humanity." Though clashes have occurred over the past year, the heaviest fighting began in late December.

Authorities estimate that more than 180,000 people have been displaced across four counties of Jonglei, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA. "Most people are settling under trees. Their homes and health facilities have been looted or burned and there is a lot of hunger," said Deng.

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