Residents in Nagero County pictured in the bush after fleeing violence earlier this week. [Photo: Courtesy]

According to displaced residents, several people sustained injuries while attempting to escape the fighting. Women have reportedly delivered babies in unsafe conditions without professional medical support, while children and the elderly are falling ill due to hunger, harsh weather, and the lack of medicine.

JUBA – Fierce clashes in Nagero County in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria State have sparked a worsening humanitarian crisis as hundreds of residents flee their homes in search of safety. Community leaders and witnesses say the violence has left families stranded in the bush without food, shelter, or medical care.

Fighting broke out on Sunday, September 27, when forces from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) attacked a South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) barracks.

Local authorities said the assault, which took place around 5:30 a.m., left one government soldier injured and triggered widespread fear among residents. As a result, hundreds of civilians fled into the bush, where they have remained amid rife insecurity in the area.

Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that SSPDF forces repelled the attack and maintained control of the military post.

According to displaced residents, several people sustained injuries while attempting to escape the fighting. Women have reportedly delivered babies in unsafe conditions without professional medical support, while children and the elderly are falling ill due to hunger, harsh weather, and the lack of medicine.

“The entire community has deserted Nagero County and is hiding in the bush. Women are suffering in the rain without food, medicine, or any assistance,” one displaced resident told Sudans Post.

Community leaders are warning that the situation could deteriorate further if urgent help is not provided. They have appealed to the state government, humanitarian organizations, and international partners to intervene quickly to avert a large-scale crisis. “Hunger and disease are setting in. If nothing is done, lives will be lost,” a local leader cautioned.

Thomas Aringa, Deputy Chairperson of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) in Western Equatoria, confirmed the displacement but said authorities have yet to determine the exact number of those affected.

“People are scattered in the bush and cannot be registered now. Once registration begins, we will provide a full report. A committee will be formed with partners and the state government to assess their needs,” Aringa explained.

Civil society activist Edmond Yakani also raised alarm over the crisis, urging both the national and state authorities to prioritize displaced families in Nagero and Kediba counties. He stressed that these communities deserve the same level of emergency assistance provided to flood-affected populations in Pibor.

Efforts to reach Nagero County Commissioner Henry Bangada for comment were unsuccessful. Sources say the commissioner has gone into hiding following recent political upheavals in the state, including the removal of former Governor Alfred Futuyo.

With no immediate end to the clashes in sight, families remain in the bush, braving hunger, disease, and uncertainty. Aid groups warn that unless urgent assistance reaches Nagero, the displacement could escalate into one of Western Equatoria’s most severe humanitarian emergencies in recent years. By Sudans Post 

KDF said the mission, conducted across all its bases under AUSSOM, is part of DOCA’s mandate to ensure military operations comply with KDF’s legal, policy, and ethical standards.

Turkey maintains an outsized footprint in Africa, and, in certain respects, its interests align with those of the United States.

Turkey-US ties are on the rise following President Trump’s recent meeting with Turkish president Erdoğan in Washington. There is no shortage of areas highlighted for greater Turkish-US cooperation, from strengthening business ties to the sale of F-35s, as well as NATO and Middle East policy. 

Another area where US officials should follow Trump’s lead and explore cooperating with Turkey is Africa. Turkey is poised to play a significant role on the continent at a time when Europe’s influence is waning, and the United States is seeking to reduce aid and defense spending on the continent. With China and Russia jockeying to fill the resulting void, Turkey is a potential alternative for the United States to support. 

Turkey has significantly expanded its presence in Africa over the last two decades. Ankara has pursued various avenues of influence, including greater trade ties and significant investments in infrastructure, energy, mining, and textiles. Turkish drones are also a hot commodity on the continent, and Turkey has leveraged its growing defense ties to strengthen cooperation in non-security sectors. 

Given the reality of Turkey’s growing role, the United States should identify areas for collaboration. Counterterrorism is one such area. Both the United States and Turkey have sent trainers and equipment to help Somalia and West African states battle burgeoning Al Qaeda and Islamic State insurgencies. 

Regarding counterterrorism, US officials should identify overly duplicative efforts and explore potential areas for greater burden sharing. US officials are already considering working with third countries to train local forces in West Africa’s Sahel region, as it looks to rebuild partnerships with these countries despite legal restrictions on direct US aid.  

Turkey reportedly already plans to send trainers to Niger and is another natural partner in Somalia, where US and Turkish forces are both already training separate Somali units. The US can focus on sharing intelligence with local partner forces, filling non-lethal equipment gaps, and supporting broader institutional capacity-building efforts. 

Working with Turkey on energy in Africa would help achieve Trump’s goal for Turkey to cut Russian energy imports. Heavily dependent on energy imports, Turkey has increasingly turned to Africa to lower costs and diversify its energy supply. Identifying potential opportunities for joint US-Turkish energy projects will reduce risk for US companies, help Africa develop its energy reserves, and further enable Turkey to cut Russian energy imports. 

Cooperating with Turkey on energy and infrastructure naturally reinforces US and African efforts to develop critical mineral supply chains. Turkey trails only China in infrastructure investment on the continent, with Turkish construction firms securing nearly $100 billion in contracts since 1972, including several airport, highway, railroad, and seaport projects. To develop mineral supply chains in Africa, more energy is needed to power the energy-intensive mining industry, and better infrastructure is needed to connect mines to domestic transit corridors and regional port hubs. 

Turkey also serves as a potential hedge against Chinese or Russian influence in Africa. Russia has capitalized on the erosion of French influence in the Sahel to expand its influence as an alternative security partner, which has been disastrous for shared African and Western counterterrorism interests. Amid Western retrenchment and Russia’s shortcomings, China has become more involved in providing equipment and training. 

While there are avenues for cooperation, US officials should be clear-eyed about the limits of a partnership with Turkey. While Turkey may be an alternative to China or Russia, Turkish and US interests diverge with respect to aggressively containing or rolling back Chinese or Russian influence. Ankara has often tried to balance between Beijing, Moscow, and the West. In some cases, Turkey may even be open to opportunistic cooperation with US adversaries. 

Turkey has also not been a reliable or consistent partner. Turkey is currently riding the coattails of the erosion of Western influence in Africa and has leaned on some of the same anti-Western, anti-colonial narratives as China and Russia. This strategy has so far primarily come at the expense of Africa’s former European overlords, but it also creates some friction with the United States. 

The United States should not risk outsourcing counterterrorism operations to Turkey, given that Ankara has not yet proven it can be a leading counterterrorism partner. Turkish-trained Somali forces have behaved and performed worse than US-trained Somali forces, highlighting potential shortcomings in Turkey’s approach. Turkish drones have also failed to change the bleak strategic picture in terror hotspots like the Sahel and Somalia. US overreliance on France in the Sahel, which left the Washington scrambling as itd ally was pushed out of the region, highlights the risk of overreliance on third-country partners. 

Turkey’s growing role in Africa positions it as a potential partner at a time when the United States and broader Western influence are facing challenges. While Turkey is far from a perfect partner, US officials can shape a positive working relationship by taking the initiative and pursuing opportunities for greater collaboration, particularly in aligned interest areas such as counterterrorism, energy, and infrastructure.  By Liam Karr, The National Interest 

Kalonzo Musyoka speaking during his 40 years in politics event on May 7, 2025. PHOTO/@skmusyoka/X 

Wiper Party has strongly responded to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) over its recent remarks regarding Raila Odinga’s health, terming the statement as an act of political desperation and misplaced drama.

In a hard-hitting statement through X on Sunday, October 5, 2025, Wiper dismissed ODM’s accusations as “political theatre”, saying the party had lost its moral compass and political relevance.

The party maintained that its leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, harbours no ill will toward Raila Odinga, describing any suggestion to the contrary as false and malicious.

“Let it be stated clearly that Kalonzo Musyoka harbours no ill will whatsoever toward Odinga. The two leaders share a long public history of cooperation and mutual respect,” the statement read in part.

Political distraction

Wiper further accused ODM of attempting to drag Kalonzo into internal party confusion as a way to distract the public from cracks within the so-called broad-based government that ODM now supports.

“It is a mockery of the nation’s intelligence that ODM, once a beacon of reform, now finds comfort in bed with a regime that butchered young people during the Gen Z protests and continues to abduct online critics in the dead of night,” Wiper said.

Also watch: I will not attend the ODM’s founder members’ party – Kalonzo to Raila Odinga

According to the party, ODM’s now close association with President William Ruto’s administration is evidence that it has abandoned its reformist roots.

Wiper argued that the ODM statement was not about Raila’s health but rather an attempt to hide its guilt and fear over the direction it has taken politically.

The party also addressed Raila’s failed bid for the African Union Commission chairmanship, saying Kalonzo had no role in that outcome.

Wiper blamed the loss on diplomatic mismanagement by the very government ODM now supports.

“His defeat was not a shock but a reflection of the government’s diplomatic failures and lack of strategy on the continental stage,” the statement said.

Wiper concluded by reaffirming Kalonzo’s commitment to justice, truth, and a Kenya that values life and liberty over political convenience.

“No one will drag Kalonzo Musyoka into their self-inflicted political decay,” the party declared.

By Paulette Mboga, K24