Machar ally accuses government of blocking medical aid to opposition wounded

JUBA — A senior ally of suspended First Vice President Dr Riek Machar has accused South Sudan’s government of blocking medical assistance to opposition fighters wounded in recent clashes, raising fresh concerns over humanitarian access amid escalating insecurity in Jonglei State.

Pal Mai Deng, spokesperson for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) and Chairperson of its National Committee for Information and Communication, claimed that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been prevented from treating wounded SPLM-IO combatants during ongoing violence in Jonglei.

“The regime allows the ICRC only to attend to war wounded from its side and prevents treatment of wounded from the SPLM-IO,” Deng said in a statement seen by Sudans Post on Monday. He described the alleged restrictions as part of a broader state policy of “genocide and extermination” against opposition forces.

Deng further accused authorities in Juba of obstructing humanitarian aid delivery to opposition-held areas in northern Jonglei, warning that access limitations are worsening suffering among civilians trapped in conflict zones.

He said the actions amount to violations of international humanitarian law, human rights law, and the UN Charter. “The SPLM-IG-led government in Juba has blocked humanitarian access to SPLM-IO-controlled areas, especially in the northern part of Jonglei State,” Deng stated.

In a direct appeal to humanitarian actors, Deng urged the ICRC to resist political pressure and adhere strictly to humanitarian principles. “Under the principles of neutrality and impartiality, we urge the ICRC in South Sudan not to succumb to regime pressure to deviate from its core humanitarian mandate,” he said.

He also called on the United Nations and the wider international community to intervene urgently to ensure unhindered delivery of medical and humanitarian aid to all affected populations.

Neither the government nor the ICRC office in Juba had issued an immediate response to the allegations by the time of publication.

The accusations come against the backdrop of rising international concern over humanitarian obstruction in South Sudan. In early January, the United States suspended foreign assistance to Ayod County in Jonglei State and launched a review of aid operations in Western Bahr el-Ghazal, citing continued interference and obstruction by South Sudanese officials.

Jonglei has recently emerged as a hotspot of intermittent fighting between SPLM-IO forces and the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), displacing civilians and straining already fragile health and relief services.