Massacre in South Sudan: At Least 169 Killed in Village Raid

At least 169 people are dead after insurgents stormed a remote village in South Sudan, marking one of the deadliest recent attacks in a country once again edging toward full-scale civil war.

The assault took place Sunday in Abiemnom County, located in the Ruweng Administrative Area. James Monyluak, the region’s information minister, confirmed the death toll Monday, saying that 90 civilians were among those killed. Women and children were included in the victims, along with dozens of combatants.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, said around 1,000 terrified residents fled to its base seeking protection in the aftermath of the attack. The U.N. also reported at least 23 people were wounded and expressed alarm over what it described as dozens of civilian and local official deaths.

“Such violence places civilians at grave risk and must stop immediately,” said Anita Kiki Gbeho of UNMISS. She urged all sides to halt hostilities and return to dialogue, adding that peacekeepers would continue working to protect those seeking refuge.

Local officials say the attack appears to be part of a broader escalation in violence between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and armed groups believed to be aligned with opposition leader Riek Machar.

Stephano Wieu De Mialek, chief administrator of Ruweng, alleged that fighters linked to the White Army militia and Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition carried out what he described as a coordinated and organized assault. He called it an act of rebellion.

Machar’s camp has denied responsibility, stating that it has no military presence in the area where the killings occurred.

The violence comes amid deepening political turmoil. Machar, who served as Kiir’s deputy until September, was removed from office after facing criminal charges and is currently under house arrest in the capital, Juba, as his trial moves forward. His supporters argue the charges are politically motivated.

Tensions have surged in recent months. A fragile 2018 peace deal ended a brutal five-year civil war that left hundreds of thousands dead. Under that agreement, Machar returned to government as first vice president in a unity administration. However, a U.N. inquiry has warned that the peace framework is being systematically dismantled.

The conflict reignited in December when opposition forces seized government outposts in Jonglei, a longtime flashpoint. The United Nations estimates that renewed fighting has displaced at least 280,000 people.

Since January, government forces have launched a counteroffensive involving aerial bombardments and ground assaults, despite official commitments to uphold the peace agreement. Aid organizations warn that restricted access to opposition-held regions is putting civilian lives at even greater risk.

With violence spreading and political divisions deepening, fears are growing that South Sudan may once again spiral into a devastating civil war.