Kidnappings of Aid Workers in South Sudan Double in 2025

(JUBA) – Humanitarian officials say that kidnappings of aid workers in South Sudan have more than doubled in 2025 compared with last year, raising new fears for the safety of staff and the continuity of critical relief services.

At least 30 South Sudanese aid workers have been abducted since January, according to two senior humanitarian officials interviewed by the Associated Press. In 2024, fewer than 15 were reported. Analysts warn that the trend could spread to more regions of the country, making humanitarian operations increasingly difficult.

Several of those kidnapped have since been released, sometimes after ransom payments, according to people with knowledge of the negotiations. However, one South Sudanese aid worker, James Unguba, died in captivity on 3rd September after being abducted in Tambura County, Western Equatoria State. Sources said he was taken by men wearing military uniforms, although the circumstances of his death remain unclear. The national army has said it has no information about the case.

Kidnappings of Aid Workers

The United Nations has long described South Sudan as one of the most dangerous countries for humanitarian personnel. The new wave of kidnappings is seen as a worrying development because ransom demands had not previously been a major feature of attacks on aid staff.

Daniel Akech, a South Sudan analyst with the International Crisis Group, said:

“The biggest fear is that this could become a countrywide issue.”

Aid agencies say that the growing insecurity is already disrupting life saving services for hundreds of thousands of people. Many of those affected live in remote areas along South Sudan’s southern borders with Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic.

In July, the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, suspended operations in two counties after one of its staff members was kidnapped while travelling in a marked convoy in Yei County, Central Equatoria. Four days earlier, another health worker had been taken from an MSF ambulance.

“While we are deeply committed to providing care to those in need, we cannot keep our staff working in an unsafe environment,” said Dr Ferdinand Atte, MSF’s head of mission in South Sudan.

Experts say it is unclear who is responsible for the abductions. Armed groups, opposition forces, government soldiers, and criminal networks are all suspected. Edmund Yakani, a civil society leader, said:

“From what we know, there is no single group responsible.”

Major Reported Incidents in 2025

The broader context is renewed fighting between the national army and opposition groups, marking some of the worst violence since the 2018 peace agreement. Analysts link the clashes to a growing struggle over who will succeed President Salva Kiir, amid speculation about his health.

In March, Vice President Riek Machar was placed under house arrest after a militia with ties to him attacked an army base near the Ethiopian border. Since then, the national army has escalated operations against his forces and their allies, including the National Salvation Front (NAS), which never signed the peace deal.

Although the United Nations and major humanitarian groups say they will not pay ransoms, families sometimes use neutral actors, including churches, to arrange payments for the release of relatives.

The rise in kidnappings also comes as international donor support appears uncertain. Earlier this year, the administration of United States President Donald Trump took steps to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provided more than half of South Sudan’s emergency relief. European donors have also indicated possible cuts in funding.

Globally, violence against aid workers has increased. The independent research group Humanitarian Outcomes reported that 2024 was the deadliest year on record for aid staff, with 383 killed and 861 affected by major violence. The group warned that 2025 may prove even worse.

For South Sudan, where millions rely on aid to survive, the surge in kidnappings raises serious questions about how relief operations can continue under mounting security threats.