The United Nations says dozens of civilians have been killed in renewed fighting in northern South Sudan over the past two days, underscoring the country’s worsening security crisis. The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reported intense clashes in Abiemnom County, part of the Ruweng Administrative Area near the Sudanese border. According to the mission, unidentified armed youth stormed the county headquarters, injuring at least 23 people, including local officials. Initial reports indicate that dozens of civilians and several administrators were killed.
UNMISS said more than 1,000 residents have fled their homes and are now sheltering at a nearby UN peacekeeping base, seeking protection from further attacks. The mission has increased patrols in the area and is engaging local leaders to calm tensions, which are often linked to intercommunal disputes, competition over land and cattle, and the proliferation of small arms. The head of UNMISS, Anita Kiki Gbeho, called for an immediate end to the violence and urged all parties to pursue dialogue to resolve grievances peacefully.
The unrest comes as South Sudan faces mounting instability. The fragile 2018 power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar has come under growing strain, raising fears of a relapse into large-scale conflict. Last week, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that escalating violence, political deadlock, and impunity for abuses risk plunging the world’s youngest nation back into full-scale civil war unless urgent preventive action is taken.
