Deliberate Bombing of South Sudan Hospital Raises War Crime Concerns

A deliberate bombing attack on a Medecins Sans Frontieres hospital in South Sudan, which resulted in the deaths of seven individuals and injuries to 20 others, has raised international alarm, potentially constituting a war crime, as reported by the U.N. Commission on Human Rights on Tuesday.

The bombing in Fangak county destroyed a pharmacy and damaged a hospital, followed by a drone strike on Old Fangak, a town in the Greater Upper Nile region. There has been no claim of responsibility, but clashes in the region between national forces and a militia believed to be allied with First Vice President Riek Machar have intensified.

The commission's chairperson, Yasmin Sooka, emphasized that this was an intentional and unlawful assault on a protected medical facility, violating international humanitarian law. Despite a 2018 peace deal that ended a brutal civil war in South Sudan, tensions remain high, especially after the house arrest of Machar on accusations of attempting to instigate a rebellion.

(With inputs from agencies.)