South Sudan and UN peacekeepers have been criticized by Amnesty International for failing to act on warnings of a massacre that occurred in March, resulting in over 200 deaths. The incident took place in Abiemnom County, near the Sudanese border, where at least 1,000 armed men from the Nuer ethnic group launched a four-hour assault. The attack, which occurred on March 1, was one of the largest documented massacres in South Sudan since 2020, according to Amnesty International's regional director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah.
The massacre was preceded by warnings from the community that a nearby group was preparing for revenge. Amnesty International found that both South Sudanese authorities and the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) received warnings at least two weeks in advance. Despite this, the government and UNMISS failed to take stronger action, resulting in the loss of lives. UNMISS acknowledged that tensions had been high since mid-February, with about 1,000 people seeking shelter at its temporary base on the outskirts of Abiemnom in the 48 hours before the attack.
The attack was marked by extreme violence, with witnesses telling Amnesty that attackers shot residents in their homes and courtyards, as well as people fleeing or seeking shelter. Some victims were shot at close range after being captured or wounded. A 20-year-old survivor recounted that attackers pulled her cousin from under the bed and shot him in the head, killing him on the spot. The attackers also burned homes and the market, looted property, and ransacked part of the local hospital, stealing medical supplies and mattresses.
The massacre forced the entire population to flee Abiemnom, with most of the bodies buried in two mass graves on the outskirts of the town. Satellite imagery reviewed by Amnesty showed that more than 230 structures had been destroyed by fire. The UNMISS base was also attacked, with seven people killed outside the rear gates, where residents had fled for protection. A local town leader told Amnesty that residents trying to run to UNMISS found the Nuer groups standing there and shooting at them.
Amnesty International has called for investigations into the attack, saying that those responsible should be held "criminally accountable". The organization also urged the government and UNMISS to launch investigations and provide truth, justice, and assurances that such a tragedy will never happen again. Tigere Chagutah said that the failure of the government and UNMISS to take stronger action cost lives, and that they should have done more to prevent the massacre.
The incident highlights the ongoing insecurity in South Sudan, which has been plagued by civil war, poverty, corruption, and intercommunal violence since it was formed in 2011. The country has struggled to maintain stability, with frequent outbreaks of violence and humanitarian crises. The massacre in Abiemnom is just one example of the many atrocities that have occurred in the country, and Amnesty International is calling for greater action to be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
The international community has been urged to take action to support efforts to bring those responsible for the massacre to justice. Amnesty International's call for investigations and accountability is part of a broader effort to ensure that those responsible for human rights abuses in South Sudan are held accountable. The organization's report on the massacre provides a detailed account of the incident and highlights the need for greater action to be taken to prevent such atrocities from occurring in the future.
Key points
- The massacre in Abiemnom resulted in over 200 deaths and the destruction of more than 230 structures.
- Amnesty International has called for investigations into the attack and for those responsible to be held "criminally accountable".
- The incident highlights the ongoing insecurity in South Sudan, which has been plagued by civil war, poverty, corruption, and intercommunal violence since it was formed in 2011.
