South Sudan’s government insisted Tuesday it was not at war, despite days of heavy fighting that displaced more than 180,000 people.
Clashes erupted in Jonglei state north of Juba in late December, pitting forces loyal to President Salva Kiir against rival factions.
Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny said the operation aimed to halt rebel advances, restore order, and protect civilians.
“The country is not at war,” he told reporters, describing the fighting as a limited security campaign.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, has been scarred by civil war, poverty, and entrenched corruption since independence in 2011.
A fragile peace forged in 2018 between Kiir and rival Riek Machar has steadily unravelled over the past year.
Machar has been removed from the unity government and faces trial for alleged crimes against humanity.
Witnesses and aid groups say government forces used indiscriminate barrel bombs after Machar’s troops seized parts of Jonglei.
The African Union condemned calls for violence against civilians and urged restraint under the revitalised peace agreement.
The United Nations says mass displacement and blocked access have left Jonglei facing catastrophic shortages, as conflict’s shadow spreads nationwide.
