The Embassies of Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the Delegation of the European Union (EU), on Monday condemned the bombing of the MSF hospital and other civilian sites in Jonglei State’s Fangak County.
The aerial bombardment by SSPDF planes during the wee hours of Saturday morning immediately resulted in 4 deaths and 25 injuries.
The bombardment comes amid rising tensions in parts of the country, particularly in the Upper Nile region, since the beginning of this year. Fangak was one of the counties classified last week by the government in Juba as “hostile.”
“We echo the African Union Commission Chairperson’s call for accountability,” the statement from the Western embassies and the EU reads. “All parties share responsibility to end the violence in all parts of the country and to protect both civilians and aid workers.”
“It is time for South Sudan’s leaders to put their people first,” the statement added.
The airstrike occurred a day after army spokesman Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang said military intelligence and complaints from various entities indicated that several barges and boats—including one belonging to the United Nations and another owned by a Sudanese businessman—had been hijacked by SPLA-IO fighters and the White Army in Fangak and Leer counties of Jonglei and Unity states, respectively. He added that the army chief ordered the “immediate and unconditional release” of the vessels, warning that failure to comply would result in “punitive aerial and riverine actions.”