South Sudan: Aid workers kidnapped in Central Equatoria April 25

Event

The UN announced on Thursday, April 26, that a convoy carrying UN and other aid workers from Yei to Tore (Central Equatoria state) had been ambushed the day prior. Ten aid workers were abducted and their whereabouts are currently unknown.

On a related note, earlier in the same week, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced the suspensions of its operations in Leer (Unity state) after their field base was shot at on April 10.

Context

Cases of kidnappings have been on the rise in the country since March 2017, with oil and humanitarian workers particularly targeted.

South Sudan has been wracked by years of political, interethnic, and intercommunal violence - exacerbated by border and oil revenue disputes with Sudan. Following the 2011 signature of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that gave the country its independence from Sudan, the predominantly north-south conflict gave way to a pattern of internal violence. Since December 2013, the country has experienced an intermittent civil war waged between the government of President Salva Kiir and the SPLA on one side, and the former Vice President Riek Machar and the SPLA-IO on the other. The conflict has continued despite international support for state-building and peacekeeping - including the 12,000-strong UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), deployed since 2011. The number of South Sudanese citizens displaced by the conflict currently stands at some 3.5 million.

Advice

Many Western governments advise against nonessential travel to South Sudan. Certain regions should be particularly avoided, including the states of Unity and Upper Nile, the north of Warrap state, parts of Eastern and Central Equatoria states, and areas along the borders with the Central African Republic, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. If travel is necessary, ensure that proper security protocols are in place.