Nearly 170 killed in deadly assault in South Sudan’s Ruweng

In a shocking outbreak of violence, at least 169 people lost their lives when armed youths stormed Abiemnhom County in South Sudan’s Ruweng Administrative Area early Sunday.

Local officials described the assault as savage. Dozens of attackers from Mayom County in neighboring Unity State struck at dawn, unleashing gunfire and setting homes and markets ablaze. The fighting raged for three to four hours before government forces repelled them.

James Monyluak Mijok, the region’s information minister, confirmed the grim toll to international media. Ninety victims were civilians—women, children, and elderly among them. The other 79 were soldiers. Fifty more suffered injuries, some severe.

Tragically, the dead included the county commissioner and executive director. Their bodies, along with all others, were buried in a mass grave on Monday, said Elizabeth Achol, the local health minister.

Officials warn the count could rise as searches continue for more victims.

The Ruweng authorities condemned the raid in harsh terms. They called it a “barbaric” act of extermination bordering on genocide. They urged Unity State leaders to arrest those responsible and deliver justice.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) voiced deep concern. It noted surging clashes in the area over recent days. Peacekeepers sheltered more than 1,000 frightened civilians at their base. They also gave emergency care to the wounded.

This bloodshed comes amid broader unease in the young nation. A 2018 peace deal between President Salva Kiir and former First Vice President Riek Machar aimed to end a civil war that claimed around 400,000 lives. Yet progress has stalled. Power-sharing disputes keep fueling clashes between rival groups.

The incident highlights how fragile stability remains. Arrests and political tensions from a year ago have worsened divisions in some regions.

Elsewhere, aid efforts face danger. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported 26 staff missing after recent violence in Jonglei State. The group paused operations in two key areas. An MSF clinic there was hit by an airstrike in early February. Many workers fled with families, now displaced without basics like food and water.

South Sudan, independent since 2011, grapples with endless conflict, deep poverty, and corruption. Events like this raid remind the world how quickly peace can unravel. International observers call for urgent steps to protect civilians and revive the faltering peace process.