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World Without War has condemned recent airstrikes on civilian targets in Nasir, South Sudan, amid reports that the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) used chemical incendiary weapons.
Images and witness accounts suggest that ethyl acetate—a flammable industrial chemical—was deployed in the densely populated region in Upper Nile state.
“I am deeply concerned by the use of chemical incendiary weapons by the governments of South Sudan and Uganda,” said Edward H. Carpenter, Director of World Without War and former UN peacekeeper in South Sudan.
“This is not just an escalation—it’s a potential war crime.”
Carpenter warned that such attacks, or even the perception of them, risk reigniting full-scale war and undermining peace efforts by the UN and IGAD, of which Uganda is a member. Uganda’s alleged involvement may also violate both domestic and international law.
In 2024, UN officials reported 1,561 civilians were killed in South Sudan, over 230 by government forces. Carpenter noted, “The weapons used—and the international nature of the attackers—set this incident apart.”
Once relatively stable, Nasir has seen rising tensions since 2024, when human rights abuses by government troops escalated violence. Uganda’s involvement has inflamed the situation, with Ugandan commander General Muhoozi Kainerugaba reportedly threatening local militias.
On March 17, Reuters confirmed the air strike on Nasir. At least 21 people were killed, including the paramount chief. The airport, market, and county commissioner’s residence were targeted.
World Without War criticized the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) for failing to protect civilians.
“Why hasn’t UNMISS deployed peacekeepers as they’re mandated to do?” asked Carpenter, a former UNMISS Chief of Plans and Policy. Though authorized 17,000 troops, fewer than 14,000 have been provided.
Carpenter urged deployment of Necessary Unified Forces, a neutral South Sudanese force, alongside UNMISS peacekeepers to restore local trust.
“The United Nations must investigate this attack on civilians and demand accountability,” he said, calling on South Sudan to ratify Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.
World Without War is an international NGO working to end armed conflict by challenging the legal, ethical, and societal myths that justify it. Founded in 2023, it uses reporting, research, and media to hold institutions accountable and build a future free from war.