Tragedy Strikes South Sudan: Armed Youth Attack Claims Nearly 170 Lives, Including 90 Children

TERROR erupted in South Sudan when dozens of armed attackers swept into a northern region and slaughtered at least 169 people.

Officials described the bloodbath to be so brutal that victims had to be bruied in a mass grave within hours.

Members of the South Sudan People’s Liberation Army in OppositionCredit: AFP Smoke billows after drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces back in May 2025Credit: AP

The horror unfolded in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Authorities in the Ruweng Administrative Area say the assault was carried out by armed youth believed to have crossed from neighbouring Unity state.

They seemingly linked to the linked to the rebel force People’s Liberation in Opposition – a claim the group has fiercely denied, accusing officials of politicising the carnage.

Information Minister James Monyluak Mijok said the dead include 90 civilians – children, women and elderly people – plus 79 regional force members, including .

Another 50 were wounded, most rushed to the Abyei Administrative Area for treatment.

He told the the killers stormed Abiemnom county at about 04:30 local time, striking while residents slept and completely catching them off guard.

“The government forces on the ground were outnumbered… The assailants set fire to and during fighting that lasted between three and four hours.”

Among those killed were top local leaders, including the county commissioner and executive director.

Authorities say troops eventually repelled the attackers and regained full control of the area.

Mijok also alleged Unity state officials “must have had knowledge” of the planned strike – an accusation they have not responded to.

What triggered the attack remains unknown.

The Mission in South Sudan revealed roughly 1,000 terrified civilians fled toward its nearby base seeking protection as violence spiralled.

“Such violence places civilians at grave risk and must stop immediately,” said Anita Kiki Gbeho, officer in charge of the mission.

“The mission has enhanced its protective posture and is working with the government of South Sudan to support urgent efforts to restore calm and safeguard affected communities.”

Peacekeepers are treating at least 23 wounded survivors and urging all sides to halt fighting and open dialogue.

Local accounts and reporting from AFP say the dead were buried together Sunday because of the sheer number of bodies and fears of further violence.

A similar attack in Abiemnom last year left more than 42 civilians dead.

Meanwhile, escalating clashes in Jonglei state have forced the medical MSF to suspend services in Lankien and Pieri after 26 staff went missing.

The group said its Lankien facility was struck by a government air raid on 3 February.

“Many of our staff were forced to flee the violence alongside their families. Several are now displaced, sheltering in remote areas with little access to food, water or basic services,” the statement added.

The world’s youngest nation has been plagued by war, corruption and poverty since independence in 2011 – and the UN now warns the country could plunge back into “all-out civil war” as a fragile 2018 power-sharing deal between President Salva Kiir and rival Riek Machar unravels.

Indian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan on Feb 12 2026Credit: AFP Fire destroys homes in Rojal Mafihe, Juba on Feb 27 2026Credit: Shutterstock Editorial A member of the SPLA-IO carries a machine gun as he leaves a security postCredit: AFP