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A staff member of South Sudan’s Health Ministry who was abducted from a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) ambulance in Morobo County, Central Equatoria, has been released unharmed, MSF confirmed on Sunday, July 27. The incident occurred on Friday around 10 a.m. local time when armed individuals halted the ambulance, removed the ministry employee—identified as nurse Ita Rejoice by a local rights group—and let the other passengers proceed. Rejoice was returning to Morobo after escorting a pregnant woman to Yei Hospital for advanced care.
The abduction is the latest in a troubling rise in attacks targeting healthcare workers and infrastructure across South Sudan. MSF has condemned the trend, noting that escalating insecurity forced the closure of two hospitals and a drastic reduction in consultations—only 3,427 in May and June, compared to twice that number in 2024.
The organisation has also reported a string of violent incidents since January, including looting, bombings, and shootings at its facilities. Rights advocate Edmund Yakani of CEPO described the abduction as a violation of international law and called on the United Nations to investigate. MSF is urging all factions in South Sudan’s conflict to safeguard civilians and health services.
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