The Ruweng administrative zone, located on the border with Sudan, is the scene of a new humanitarian crisis. On the night of February 28th to March 1st, an extremely violent attack targeted the town of Abiemnhom, leaving behind a provisional death toll of 169 and thousands of displaced persons.

A coordinated and deadly assault

The attack began around 4 a.m. on Sunday, March 1. According to local authorities, a large group of armed young Nuer men, who came from the neighboring Mayom county and some were wearing military uniforms, stormed the town.

1. Human toll: At least 169 deaths recorded, including 79 members of the security forces (soldiers and police officers) who fell while trying to repel the assault.
2. Injured: The NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has taken care of 80 gunshot wounded at the hospital in Abyei.
3. Emergency measures: Faced with the scale of the massacre, the authorities had to proceed with burials in a mass grave.

"People fled in all directions, so we will probably find more injured people and more bodies." — James Monyluak , Minister of Information for the local government.

The UN is sounding the alarm

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan ( UNMISS ) has taken in nearly 1,000 civilians at its base to provide them with protection and emergency medical care. The organization expresses its deep concern about this escalation, which is further jeopardizing an already fragile peace agreement.

Priyanka Chodhury, spokesperson for UNMISS, emphasizes that political tensions between supporters of President Salva Kiir and those of opposition leader Riek Machar are increasingly escalating into ethnic conflicts on the ground. Air strikes, looting of humanitarian infrastructure, and mass population displacements have been reported in several regions, particularly in Jonglei State.

A context of age-old hatreds and political instability

Although a peace agreement was signed in 2018 to end the civil war that began in 2013, the violence persists. This massacre appears to be part of a dual dynamic:

1. Intercommunal rivalries: Historical tensions exist between the Nuer of Mayom and the Dinka of Abiemnhom.
2. Political instrumentalization: Insecurity is fueled by instability at the top of the state.

Local demands

The authorities in Ruweng are now calling for:

1. The immediate opening of an official investigation .
2. An increased deployment of security forces in the border area.
3. The urgent dispatch of humanitarian aid for survivors and displaced persons.