A South Sudanese Health Ministry staff member was abducted from a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) ambulance in Morobo County, Central Equatoria State, on Friday but released unharmed a day later, the medical charity said, in the latest attack on healthcare workers in the country.
The abduction occurred around 10 a.m. local time.
Armed individuals stopped the ambulance, forced out the ministry employee, and took her away, MSF said in a statement extended to Radio Tamazuj Sunday. The driver, other staff, and patients were allowed to leave.
The staff member had been accompanying patients referred for advanced care in Yei and was returning to Morobo after their discharge, MSF said. The organization did not identify the abductors.
“What we are witnessing is a disturbing and unacceptable trend, where the impartial provision of healthcare services faces indiscriminate attacks,” said Dr. Ferdinand Atte, MSF’s head of mission in South Sudan.
Attacks on medical workers and facilities have surged in recent months, forcing MSF to close two hospitals and scale back services in Yei and Morobo. In May and June, the charity provided only 3,427 consultations—half the number from the same period in 2024.
Since January, MSF has reported multiple violent incidents, including an April looting of its Ulang hospital, a May bombing of its Old Fangak facility that killed seven civilians, and an earlier shooting at its medical boats in Upper Nile State.
The charity called on all parties to South Sudan’s conflict to protect civilians and healthcare infrastructure. MSF supports four Health Ministry facilities in Yei and Morobo, offering outpatient care, vaccinations, and maternal health services.
Reacting to the incident, Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), a local rights group, condemned the abduction of nurse Ita Rejoice, who was detained while returning from escorting a pregnant woman to Yei Hospital.
“Detaining a nurse on humanitarian duty is a clear violation of international law,” Yakani told Radio Tamazuj. He urged the United Nations to investigate escalating attacks on medical personnel and facilities in conflict zones, including Yei, Morobo, Tambura, and Tonj.
South Sudan has faced chronic instability since independence in 2011, with sporadic violence disrupting humanitarian operations.