South Sudan's defence forces and rivals in the opposition militias are committing war crimes as they vie for territory, a rights group said, placing a new hurdle before President Salva Kiir's government as it bids for the first elections in history.
Human Rights Watch said both sides have committed severe abuses, including intentional killings, rape and torture, targeting civilians in Western Equatoria region where renewed fighting has also displaced thousands of civilians.
In a statement, the organisation singled out the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), the Sudan People's Liberation Army‑in‑Opposition (SPLA/IO) and allied local militias for abuses since conflict erupted in 2025.
The SPLA-IO has been fighting against government forces since early March 2025 when their leader, suspended first vice-President Riek Machar, was placed under house arrest and charged with treason. His movement and allied youth militia, known as the White Army, have engaged government forces since then, with deadly humanitarian consequences.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a global programme comprising UN agencies, humanitarian organisations and other expert stakeholders, reported that insecurity in Nagero County continues to restrict access to markets and farms.
Western Equatoria has, actually, witnessed repeated clashes between the army and opposition forces since 2018, with both sides carrying out serious abuses against civilians.
“Government forces and allied militia carried out serious abuses against civilian communities in Nagero County, leaving many with nothing to return to,†said Laetitia Bader, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
“The government needs to investigate these violations promptly and effectively, and hold the leaders of these forces to account.â€
Between January and February 2025, and again from September to November 2025, the SSPDF clashed with the SPLA/IO in Nagero County. During and after the clashes, government forces and allied fighters summarily executed at least eight civilians, including children; raped women; subjected detainees and other civilians to ill‑treatment after accusing them of supporting the opposition; and burned and pillaged property.
Both sides dismissed the report with a government spokesperson saying that government forces had responded to atrocities by protecting civilians displaced by SPLA-IO.
From March 2025 to June 2026, Human Rights Watch interviewed 31 survivors and witnesses from Nagero County, as well as six other sources. Some had been displaced to Wau and Bazia in Western Bahr el Ghazal, and to Juba, the capital.
Human Rights Watch urged the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to continue regular protection patrols and human rights monitoring in Nagero County. It also called on donors to press the government to allow safe and immediate access throughout conflict‑affected areas, and to increase assistance to Nagero.
“The South Sudanese government should take immediate action to end all abuses against civilians by its armed forces, including suspending commanders credibly implicated in abuses pending inquiry; conduct independent, impartial, effective investigations; and publicly report on their findings,†Human Rights Watch said. “The government should also guarantee safe, immediate humanitarian access throughout Nagero County and facilitate the safe and voluntary return of those displaced.â€
Longstanding tensions in Western Equatoria, including Nagero County, between the SSPDF and SPLA/IO have been compounded by ethnic divisions between the Balanda and Azande communities, widely perceived as aligned with the opposition and government respectively. Nagero County is predominantly Balanda, while James Nando is Azande.
On January 6, 2025, government forces captured Kubri‑Bo—a strategic junction linking Nagero and Tambura in the south to Wau in the north. Fighting intensified after President Kiir dismissed Western Equatoria Governor Alfred Futuyo Karaba, an SPLM/IO nominee and ethnic Balanda, and replaced him with a government‑aligned candidate.
“The SPLA/IO should strictly observe its obligations under international humanitarian law, including taking all feasible precautions to avoid and minimise harm to civilians, such as during attacks on bases located near civilian areas that could foreseeably expose civilians to retaliation or crossfire,†Human Rights Watch said.
“They should also immediately end all abuses against civilians, including those accused of links to the army.â€
