A deadly assault on a South Sudanese village has claimed the lives of at least 169 people, marking another devastating chapter in the nation’s escalating conflict that threatens to spiral into full-scale civil war.
The Sunday attack in Abiemnom county left 90 civilians dead, according to James Monyluak, information minister for the Ruweng administrative region. Among the casualties were women, children, and numerous fighters.
Following the massacre, approximately 1,000 terrified residents fled to a United Nations peacekeeping base seeking safety, according to the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
“Such violence places civilians at grave risk and must stop immediately,” stated Anita Kiki Gbeho, a UNMISS official. “I urge all involved to cease hostilities without delay and engage in constructive dialogue to address their grievances.”
“Our peacekeepers will continue to do everything within their capabilities to protect civilians seeking refuge at our base,” she added.
UN officials reported 23 wounded in the assault and expressed alarm over “reports indicating that dozens of civilians and some local officials have lost their lives.”
The massacre represents part of intensifying hostilities across South Sudan, where forces supporting President Salva Kiir are clashing with militants believed connected to opposition leader Riek Machar.
Intelligence suggests the armed fighters responsible for Sunday’s attack maintain connections to Machar’s faction, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In-Opposition.
Machar served as Kiir’s deputy until his September dismissal following criminal charges. He remains under house arrest in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, while his trial continues.
The United States has called for negotiations between Kiir and Machar to resolve the crisis.
The current violence jeopardizes a delicate 2018 peace accord that ended five years of civil warfare. Under that arrangement, Machar assumed the role of first vice president in a unity government. However, a UN investigation determined that South Sudan’s leadership is “systematically dismantling” the peace framework.
Machar’s allies contend the subversion charges against him are politically driven. Violence surged dramatically following his removal from office.
The crisis intensified in December when opposition fighters captured government positions in Jonglei county, an opposition stronghold that has become a focal point of renewed combat displacing an estimated 280,000 people, according to UN figures.
Humanitarian organizations have cautioned that restricted access to opposition-controlled territories is putting civilian lives in danger.
Since January, government forces have launched a counterattack involving air strikes and ground operations, despite official pledges to honor the peace agreement.
