South Sudan’s military and opposition forces have blocked [5] humanitarian access and unjustifiably ordered civilians to evacuate populated areas, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said April 12. The country's military has issued multiple evacuation orders since late 2025, at least three of which have been "sweeping in nature." Over the same period, opposition forces occupying areas of the country have also issued at least three such orders. As a result, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been forced to flee [6] their homes.
HRW reported that following some evacuation orders, the government launched indiscriminate aerial bombings of the cleared areas, harming numerous civilians left behind.
The government has additionally imposed "no-flight" zones that effectively limit humanitarian-worker access to opposition-held areas. Opposition forces have taken similar action, stating that humanitarian agencies accessing certain government-controlled areas would be considered government-aligned.
Article 52 [8] of Section IV of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions holds that all civilian objects—any property or infrastructure that is not a military objective, such as homes, schools, hospitals, or places of worship— shall not be the target of any direct attack or of reprisals.
UN experts, in an April 2 press release [9], called for all parties to immediately stop the violence and engage in meaningful dialogue to ensure that all citizens receive protection, and to avoid any further escalation of the conflict.
Condensed from JURIST [10], April 14. Used with permission.
