Embassies Demand Action After Aid Workers Killed in South Sudan

(JUBA) – At least 17 people have been killed and five others wounded after a humanitarian convoy was attacked in Duk County, Jonglei State.

The ambush took place on 29 June as the convoy carried aid to communities in need. Among the dead are humanitarian staff and civilians who were travelling with the convoy. Several vehicles were destroyed in the assault.

Ten foreign missions and the European Union delegation in South Sudan issued a joint statement condemning the attack. The statement named Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States as signatories.

The diplomatic partners expressed condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those killed. They demanded that those behind the ambush be held to account. The statement stressed that all parties must respect and protect humanitarian workers and their assets, adding that aid personnel must never be targets.

The victims were employed by the John Dau Foundation, a national health organisation that runs clinics and nutrition programmes in remote parts of Jonglei State. The foundation has operated in South Sudan for years, focusing on maternal health and child nutrition in areas where government services are scarce.

South Sudan remains one of the most dangerous places for aid workers globally. The United Nations has recorded dozens of attacks on relief operations across the country since the start of the year.

Funding shortages have already forced several agencies to scale down activities, leaving millions of people in need of food, medicine and protection.

The attack in Duk County is the deadliest single assault on a humanitarian convoy recorded in South Sudan in recent months.

In a separate development, Japan has been expanding its support for education and trade ties with South Sudan. On 17 June, a three-day master trainer workshop opened in Juba.

The workshop, titled “Capacity Development for Female Teachers and School Leaders through Mobile Learning”, is funded by Japan and run by the UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa.

It aims to strengthen teaching skills using tablets and platforms that work even in areas with poor internet. Representatives from the Ministry of General Education and Instruction, UNESCO South Sudan and the Pan African Virtual and E-University took part.

During the opening ceremony, 40 tablets were handed over to the participating institutions. Ms. Oguri Aya, Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Japan, represented the embassy and expressed her sincere wish that the project would improve education quality and human resource development in South Sudan.

A day later, on 18 June, Ambassador Odagiri Toshio of Japan paid a courtesy visit to Honourable Dr. Margaret Labanya, the Minister of Trade and Industry.

Ambassador Odagiri congratulated her on her appointment and expressed high expectation that South Sudan would showcase its natural and cultural richness during the GREEN×EXPO 2027 international horticultural exhibition in Yokohama, Japan, which opens in March next year.

The ambassador also reaffirmed Japan’s sincere hope for progress in the peace process and the faithful implementation of the peace agreement for the benefit of the people of South Sudan.