Juba Regime Must Be Held Accountable for Helicopter Gunship Attacks on Civilians in Lankien, Jonglei State
The South Sudan Youth Reforms (SSYR) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the renewed aerial attacks carried out by the Juba regime using helicopter gunships against civilians in Lankien, Jonglei State.
Once again, innocent men, women, and children have been targeted from the air. Homes have been destroyed, families terrorized, and lives lost — not because of any military necessity, but because the regime continues to treat civilian populations as enemies.
This is not security. This is not counterinsurgency. This is state violence against innocent people.
A Pattern of Deliberate Civilian Targeting
The repeated use of helicopter gunships in populated areas demonstrates a systematic policy, not an isolated incident. Lankien has now joined a growing list of towns and villages subjected to indiscriminate aerial attacks — in clear violation of international humanitarian law and South Sudan’s constitutional obligations.
Civilians are not combatants. Villages are not military targets. Bombing people from the air is a war crime, not governance.
A Regime That Bombs Its Own People Has Lost All Moral Authority
The Juba regime continues to invest in helicopter gunships, ammunition, and military operations while failing to provide basic security, food, healthcare, or education for its people. Instead of protecting civilians, it hunts them. Instead of resolving crises through dialogue, it answers with violence. Instead of uniting the country, it deepens fear, displacement, and hatred.
No government that repeatedly kills its own citizens from the air can claim legitimacy.
Our Demands
- Immediate cessation of all aerial attacks on civilian areas in Jonglei and across South Sudan.
- Independent international investigation into helicopter gunship attacks in Lankien and surrounding areas.
- Identification and prosecution of commanders and officials who ordered or authorised these strikes.
- Grounding of military aircraft used in operations that endanger civilians.
- Full humanitarian access for displaced and affected communities without military interference.
- Protection of civilians as a non-negotiable priority under international law.
A Message to the Youth and the International Community
To the youth of South Sudan: do not be silent. Silence is what allows injustice to continue. Stand firm against violence, against impunity, and against a system that sacrifices civilian lives for power.
To the international community: condemnation without action is no longer enough. The repeated bombing of civilians demands accountability, sanctions, and protection mechanisms — not statements of concern.
South Sudan Deserves Peace, Not Gunships
Lankien’s civilians deserve safety. Jonglei’s children deserve a future. South Sudan deserves leadership that protects life, not destroys it.
SSYR stands with the people of Lankien. We stand with all civilians under attack. We will continue to speak, document, and demand justice until the killing stops.
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