Key Facts
- Conflict start date
- 3 March 2025
- SSPDF retook Nasir
- 20 April 2025
- UN helicopters fired upon
- During SSPDF evacuation attempt
- Key political consequence
- Riek Machar stripped of authority and put on trial
- Airstrikes conducted in
- Nasir, Longechuk, and Ulang counties
Strategic Narrative Overview
On 3 March 2025, the Nuer White Army overran the SSPDF barracks in Nasir. During a subsequent evacuation attempt, United Nations Mission in South Sudan helicopters came under fire, causing significant casualties. In response, South Sudanese government forces and Ugandan troops conducted airstrikes on villages across Nasir, Longechuk, and Ulang counties, escalating the conflict beyond the town itself.
01 / The Origins
Tensions in the South Sudanese town of Nasir escalated between the national army garrison (SSPDF) and the Nuer White Army, a local armed group, heightened by the arrival of government-backed militia. The underlying context involved longstanding rivalry between the central government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO), led by First Vice President Riek Machar, whose faction the government accused of backing the White Army.
03 / The Outcome
With cooperation from local leaders, the SSPDF peacefully retook Nasir on 20 April 2025. The clashes triggered sweeping political repercussions: dozens of SPLA-IO-affiliated politicians were arrested, and First Vice President Riek Machar was stripped of his authority and placed on trial. The episode intensified concerns that South Sudan could slide back into full-scale civil war.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Riek Machar.
Side B
2 belligerents
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.