Historical Background: Nasir’s Role in South Sudan’s Conflicts
Nasir, a town on the Sobat River in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state near the Ethiopian border, has long held strategic and symbolic significance. During Sudan’s second civil war (1983–2005), Nasir was a key hub for Operation Lifeline Sudan, a United Nations-led relief effort, and served as the base for a major splinter faction of the southern rebel army. In 1991, rebel commander Dr. Riek Machar launched a breakaway movement from Nasir – an event known as the Nasir Revolt – which foreshadowed ethnic divisions within the liberation struggle. Decades later, Dr. Machar would again play a pivotal role in Nasir’s fate.
By 2013, South Sudan had gained independence (in 2011), and Dr. Machar was serving as vice president. However, political rifts with President Salva Kiir were deepening. In July 2013, President Kiir dismissed Dr. Machar and the entire cabinet, escalating tensions at the highest levels of the young nation.
These tensions erupted into open conflict in December 2013, marking the start of the South Sudanese Civil War. What began as a power struggle in the capital, Juba, quickly took on an ethnic dimension, pitting the Dinka against the Nuer. Nasir, a predominantly Nuer area and Machar’s former stronghold, was drawn into the war early. Historical grievances and mistrust ran deep – atrocities from earlier wars had never been fully addressed – and past and present collided. As South Sudan plunged into war once more, Nasir’s history as a lifeline turned tragically ironic: the town itself would soon be in dire need of humanitarian aid.
Nasir Caught in the 2013–2014 Spiral of War
When civil war broke out, violence spread rapidly across the country, including Upper Nile state, home to Nasir. In the war’s first months, pitched battles between government and rebel forces were less common than attacks on civilians, often driven by ethnic targeting. Government troops and rebels alike committed extraordinary abuses – massacres, sexual violence, and the burning and looting of entire towns. Nasir was no exception.
As clashes erupted in the region, many government soldiers of Dinka ethnicity viewed Nuer-populated towns like Nasir as rebel territory. Meanwhile, Nuer fighters sought to avenge atrocities against their kin. Civilians were caught in the crossfire. Human Rights Watch reported that “towns and large rural areas in Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Unity states have emptied” in the early fighting, with people fearing they would be targeted if they stayed. Nasir rapidly became both a battleground and a ghost town.
By early 2014, Nasir fell under rebel control, becoming a frontline stronghold for Machar’s forces. Communications from the town grew sparse as conflict intensified. Reports spoke of heavy bombardment and entire neighborhoods ablaze. In April 2014, ceasefire monitors noted clashes around Nasir disrupting aid efforts. That spring, a brutal government counter-offensive, backed by heavy weapons, pushed to recapture the town. In May 2014, government forces succeeded, but at a tremendous human cost. Virtually the entire civilian population fled during the onslaught.
Within 72 hours of Nasir’s fall, more than 11,000 terrified residents crossed the Sobat River into Ethiopia, many crammed onto makeshift ferries or whatever boats they could find. UN officials described throngs of exhausted families piling up at the border, “all ethnic Nuer,” with thousands more reportedly on their way. The newly arrived spoke of chaos back home: gunfire, looting, and flames consuming their town.
Those who fled Nasir often did so with nothing but the clothes on their backs. “The refugees tell us that more people are on their way,” a UNHCR spokesman reported at the time, noting many had sold all possessions or had them stolen during their flight. Aid workers observed that children arriving in Ethiopian camps were severely malnourished and deeply traumatized. The capture of Nasir triggered a humanitarian exodus.
The battle for Nasir did not end with the government’s advance. In July 2014, rebel forces launched a major counterattack to reclaim the town. Fighters loyal to Dr. Machar, led by General Gathoth Gatkuoth, struck at dawn, briefly asserting they had “liberated Nasir” from government control. The assault violated a recently signed ceasefire and sparked fierce clashes. South Sudan’s army disputed the rebel victory claim, saying they repelled the attack after hours of combat and counted “around 230” rebel bodies on the outskirts of Nasir.
While such figures were impossible to verify and likely exaggerated, the message was clear – the fighting was brutal. By late July, the UN reported that Nasir’s insurgents had withdrawn under fire and that “the town was reportedly deserted” amid the wreckage. What remained was a garrison of weary government soldiers in an empty, ruined settlement.
Humanitarian Toll: Displacement, Casualties, and Suffering
The human toll of the conflict in Nasir from 2013 to 2025 is staggering. The decade of fighting inflicted immense suffering on this community and across South Sudan. Key indicators illustrate the scale of the tragedy:
- Mass Displacement: Nationwide, South Sudan’s civil war uprooted more than 4 million people, including about 1.8 million internally displaced and 2.5 million who fled as refugees to neighboring countries. Nasir County’s population was virtually emptied multiple times; entire towns and villages fled en masse. By August 2014, Nasir itself had “no inhabitants left” due to ongoing clashes. Years of conflict have left many Nasir natives still living in refugee camps in Ethiopia or displacement sites.
- Casualties and Killings: Reliable casualty figures for Nasir are scarce, but evidence suggests the fighting was deadly. By some estimates, the civil war across South Sudan claimed around 400,000 lives by 2018. Many of those deaths occurred in Upper Nile State. Battles for Nasir involved intense firefights and indiscriminate attacks; in a single day of combat in July 2014, hundreds of fighters were reportedly killed or wounded on both sides. Civilians were also targeted and massacred. Local witnesses recall summary executions and attacks that spared no one.
- Humanitarian Crisis: The war ravaged food supplies and healthcare, creating crisis conditions. Displacement disrupted farming and markets, so by mid-2014 roughly 1.1 million people faced emergency-level hunger, with famine looming in conflict areas. Nasir’s people, predominantly agro-pastoralists, were unable to plant crops or tend cattle safely. Aid agencies struggled to reach the area due to fighting and flooding. Outbreaks of disease compounded the misery; malnutrition and cholera struck vulnerable communities sheltering in swamps or UN compounds.
- Destruction of Infrastructure: War’s devastation in Nasir has been physical as well as human. What was once a modest but functioning town became a ruin. Homes, schools, markets, and clinics were looted and torched. A UN mission report in 2014 observed that Nasir had been largely reduced to ashes – at one point, “the town was reportedly deserted” and its buildings either burned-out or bullet-scarred.
Voices from the Ground: Suffering and Survival
Amid this devastation, personal accounts shed light on what Nasir’s people have endured. Refugees and residents have described the war in wrenching human terms. For instance, in the frantic exodus of May 2014, families were separated in the scramble to cross the river. An eyewitness recalled children screaming for parents left behind on the opposite bank as crowds pushed onto overloaded boats. “We left everything,” one Nasir resident told UNHCR workers after reaching safety, explaining that armed men had stormed her village at dawn, forcing her and her five children to flee with nothing.
On the other side of the conflict’s frontlines, local officials and aid workers bore witness to atrocities in Nasir. Gatluak Thiep, a county commissioner in Nasir, was in a meeting with UN peacekeepers on February 14, 2025, when violence suddenly erupted yet again. “At 2 p.m., SSPDF forces attacked civilians in the market, sparking heavy fighting,” he recounted, saying the gunfire and chaos forced everyone to run for their lives.
Humanitarian workers have also testified to Nasir’s plight. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), one of the few organizations still providing healthcare in the area, condemned the volatile security environment that endangers both civilians and aid staff. In January 2025, armed men attacked MSF boats delivering medicines to Nasir, injuring a worker and forcing the team to suspend operations.
Broader Implications for South Sudan’s Stability and Future
Nasir’s story is not an isolated tragedy; it is a microcosm of South Sudan’s broader struggles. The conflict that engulfed Nasir for years underscores several critical challenges:
- Fragile Peace and Security: Although a peace deal in 2018 formally ended the civil war, events in Nasir show how fragile and incomplete the peace remains. Local clashes continued well after the deal, revealing that true stability has yet to reach the grassroots in many areas.
- Humanitarian and Development Needs: The devastation in Nasir highlights the enormous task of recovery facing South Sudan. A whole generation has lost access to education and health services in the conflict zones. Rebuilding schools, clinics, and infrastructure in war-torn communities is essential.
- Ethnic Reconciliation: Nasir’s conflict was partly a local manifestation of a national ethnic divide (Nuer vs Dinka) stoked by political leaders. Breaking this cycle is crucial for South Sudan’s future.
- Political Will and Governance: The drawn-out suffering of Nasir underscores the failures of South Sudan’s political leadership. Peace agreements were signed and broken multiple times between 2013 and 2020, plunging communities like Nasir back into chaos.
Conclusion: Nasir’s Story – A Cautionary Tale and a Hopeful One
Nasir’s war-torn decade demonstrates the catastrophic human cost of South Sudan’s political feuds and ethnic schisms. It puts into sharp relief the consequences when leadership fails to prevent conflict: ordinary people lose everything. Yet, it also highlights the resilience of those who endure such hardship.
For a general audience, the name “Nasir” may not be as familiar as Juba or Darfur, but it exemplifies the story of many South Sudanese towns. Its experience underscores why peace in South Sudan remains fragile and why the world should not turn away. Ensuring stability in places like Nasir will be key to South Sudan’s success as a nation.
The story of Nasir is a call to action. It urges South Sudan’s leaders and the international community to prioritize humanitarian relief and conflict resolution at the local level. It also calls on all of us to remember the human face of wars that might otherwise be reduced to statistics. The town of Nasir may lie in ruins today, but with sustained peace and effort, its next chapter could be one of resurrection rather than despair.
The author, Gatluak Ramdiet, is a South Sudanese lawyer based in New York City. He can be reached via email: gatramdiet@gmail.com.
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.