The town of Nasir in Upper Nile State has been hit by a fresh wave of airstrikes as the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Ugandan People’s Defence Force (UPDF) launched another attack on the area this morning. The escalation comes amid rising tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar.

This marks the second such incident in recent weeks. On 17 March, at least 21 civilians, including women and children, were killed in an aerial bombardment in Nasir.

Uganda has deployed special forces to South Sudan, with its military chief announcing last week that troops were sent to “secure” Juba, the capital of its northern neighbour. The UPDF has faced accusations of conducting airstrikes in support of the SSPDF.

Recently, South Sudan’s Defence Minister vowed to retake Nasir after SSPDF forces were dislodged and the military base there was overrun by the White Army on 4 March. The White Army, a loosely organised militia linked to First Vice President Riek Machar, seized the town following hours of clashes with the SSPDF.

Nasir County Commissioner Gatluak Lew Thiep confirmed to Radio Tamazuj that a military warplane dropped multiple bombs targeting Nasir town at around 3:30 AM on Wednesday.

The commissioner accused the military and its Ugandan counterpart of using chemical weapons in the airstrike.

“The bombs fell in Nasir town. The attacks resulted in the wounding of two people, a mother and her two-year-old child. They are in critical condition, and we are considering referring them for further management. The child is in critical condition; we don’t even expect that the child will survive,” he said.

According to the commissioner, the wounded mother is expected to respond to treatment as her condition is less severe.

He also noted that the Nasir market was burned down after one of the explosive barrels fell directly on it, destroying several shops, particularly tea-selling stalls, in the first round of attacks.

“Four bombs targeted my compound as commissioner. That was the second round, and this is where four barrels fell in my compound. This is where the mother and child were hurt,” he said.

“The market has been burned down, and I went there to confirm it myself. I don’t know how many shops, but most of them have been destroyed,” he added.

Edmund Yakani, a South Sudanese civil society activist, called on the country’s leadership to immediately halt what he described as “inhuman and degrading acts of victimizing” the civilian population in Nasir County.

“I call upon His Excellency the President to stop the continuous airstrikes on Nasir and other locations. If the violence continues for one more week, the chances of it turning into a full-scale war and proxy war involving multiple foreign actors will increase. This will make the country suffer more and for longer,” he said.

Yakani added that President Kiir and First Vice President Machar bear the primary responsibility to stop the violence immediately and should both be held accountable for the ongoing conflict.

He urged the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union (AU), and the United Nations (UN) to intervene by sending high-level delegations to South Sudan to meet with the leaders before the civilian population pays an even more painful price.

“While Uganda is one of the IGAD peace guarantors, it is effectively engaged with its forces in violating the spirit of the peace process. Uganda’s president should help prevent South Sudan from sliding into war. Meanwhile, the White Army is being used for proxy warfare in the country. All these human rights violations must stop now,” he concluded.

 Source Radio Tamazuj   /   Photo Courtesy 

The Somali government announced that an explosion Tuesday in Mogadishu was an attempt on the president’s life by al-Shabaab terrorists.

The Information Ministry said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy was attacked at approximately 10.32 a.m. (0732 GMT) in the Xamar-Jajab district in Mogadishu.

It said Mohamud’s was en route to the Mogadishu International Airport to join troops on the frontlines in Hirshabelle state.

“The attack was thwarted, and the President safely arrived at his destination as planned,” it said.

It ministry added that the “cowardly act which resulted in the death and injury of innocent civilians” is a testament to the group’s growing desperation as “they suffer continuous defeats at the hands of the Somali National Army.”

Security forces launched an investigation into the attack that took place near a heavily fortified area of the capital.

“With the unity of our people and the support of our international partners, we will secure lasting peace and stability for Somalia,” it said.

Hussien Sheikh Ali, the president’s national security adviser, said earlier that the president is safe and is on the frontline towns.

“This nation cannot be intimidated by hypocrisy and exaggerated lies,” he wrote on X after the attack.

The al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab terror group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it attacked the president’s convoy that was headed to the airport. By Mohamed Dhaysane, Anadolu Agency

Today, Belgium was informed of Rwanda’s decision to sever diplomatic relations with Belgium and to declare Belgian diplomats in Kigali persona non grata.

“Belgium regrets this decision, which is disproportionate and illustrates that when we disagree with Rwanda, it prefers to avoid dialogue,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prévot.

“I invited my Rwandan counterpart, Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, to meet me during his visit to Brussels last week, but he declined the meeting, despite an open offer to find a mutually convenient time. It appears that the Rwandan government has likely preferred to settle for a unilateral and biased interpretation of our position. However, cutting off channels of discussion never facilitates the resolution of disputes.”

Belgium refutes President Paul Kagame’s statements over the weekend, as well as the reasons invoked to justify Rwanda’s decision. Belgium does not seek to punish or weaken Rwanda, let alone based on a colonial past from which it has long distanced itself. This is a complete distortion of the facts.

“Belgium’s only guiding principle will remain the respect for human rights, the rule of law, and international humanitarian law,” said Minister Prévot. This position is shared by the entire EU as well as other international partners, including the G7. This demonstrates that it is not an isolated stance and that Belgium does not need to convince its allies.

Belgium’s position on the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda remains unchanged, and we reaffirm it. Belgium has unequivocally condemned the genocide against the Tutsi and has assumed its share of responsibility, including by formally apologizing for its shortcomings. Belgium remains committed to enforcing the law against genocide denial and will maintain strong judicial cooperation with Rwanda in prosecuting those responsible.

In response to the violation of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s territorial integrity and the ongoing violence in the east of the country, Belgium believes that a firm and unanimous response from the EU was necessary. This morning, the Council of the European Union adopted individual sanctions against senior Rwandan military officials as well as members of the M23 and AFC.

One individual and one Rwandan company were also sanctioned for their involvement in the illegal trafficking of natural resources from the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is likely that today’s decision by Rwanda is not unrelated to the unanimous adoption of these sanctions at the European level.

The goal of these measures is to apply pressure so that all parties cease hostilities and come to the negotiating table. Belgium welcomes the progress made in recent days through regional mediation and strongly encourages these efforts. The Democratic Republic of Congo must also take responsibility, not only to enable conflict resolution but also to reform its own governance.

Belgium calls for genuine engagement in regional and national dialogues, while also ending any cooperation with the FDLR and sanctioning any speech or actions that incite hatred against Rwandophones.

Rwanda’s decision has not gone unanswered. Minister Maxime Prévot has decided to implement reciprocal measures: summoning Rwanda’s acting chargé d’affaires, declaring Rwandan diplomats persona non grata with an order to leave Belgian territory within 48 hours, and terminating our bilateral governmental cooperation agreements (based on Article 11.3).Kingdom of Belgium Foreign Affairs