LANKIEN, NYIROL COUNTY– At least 30 civilians, most of them women and children, were killed on Monday after aerial bombardment struck civilian areas of Lankien town in Nyirol County, Jonglei State, according to SPLM/A-IO sources and local residents.
More than 13 others were injured and are receiving treatment at the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital in Lankien. Some victims reportedly suffered severe burns and respiratory complications.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the bombs hit a busy market area, causing widespread destruction and panic among residents.
“People were burned badly. Some died instantly. There were no soldiers where the planes bombed,” said the local resident who fled the area.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army–In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) strongly condemned the attack, accusing the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In-Government (SPLM-IG) and the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) of deliberately targeting civilians.
In a statement issued Monday, Pal Mai Deng, SPLM-IO Spokesperson and Chairperson of the National Committee for Information and Communication, alleged that chemical weapons were used during the bombardment.
“In violation of the 1975 Biological Weapons Convention, international human rights, and humanitarian laws, the Juba regime used chemical bombs—specifically skin blister agents—against innocent, unarmed civilians in Lankien,” Pal Mai Deng said.
“The chemical bombs burned civilians to death, including women and children. Schools and markets, which are community-based civilian structures, were deliberately targeted.”
He described the attack as evidence of what he termed a “genocidal war” against a specific ethnic community and said the SPLM-IO condemns the act “in the strongest possible terms.”
Earlier, Puok Both Baluang, the press secretary in the office of suspended first vice president Riek Machar, also issued a separate condemnation, describing the bombardment as a “barbaric” and “inhumane” act.
“The attack deliberately struck civilian areas, killing more than 30 people—mostly women and children—and injuring more than 13 others, who are currently receiving treatment,” Baluang said. He called for accountability for what he said were grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
Edmund Yakani, executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), condemned the attacks, saying the violence threatens the safety and protection of civilians.
He warned that the ongoing confrontations between SSPDF and SPLA-IO could escalate into serious human rights violations and potential war crimes.
“The continued violence shows a deep deficit of trust between the forces of the parties to the R-ARCSS agreement, fueled by rigid political culture and struggles for power,” Yakani said.
He called for urgent peace mediation with both signatory and non-signatory parties, warning that the upcoming dry season increases the risk of full-scale conflict.
Bol Deng Bol, the Executive Director of Intrepid South Sudan, a civil society organization in Jonglei State, condemned the incident and called on the state government to provide an explanation.
“The government of Jonglei State owes us, the citizens, especially of Jonglei State, an explanation as to why Civilian settlement was a target of aerial bombardment today in Nyirol County, Jonglei State,” he said in a statement.
The airstrike occurred amid escalating clashes between SPLA-IO and SSPDF forces in Nyirol County. Fighting intensified following the recent capture of the SSPDF military base in Waat by SPLA-IO forces, raising concerns that civilians are increasingly being caught in the crossfire.
Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that renewed hostilities in Jonglei State are putting civilians at extreme risk, particularly in areas with limited access to emergency medical care.
