Amnesty: South Sudan failed to protect Abiemnom residents
Over 200 killed in March massacre despite prior warnings to government and UNMISS.
Amnesty International reported that South Sudanese authorities and the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) failed to protect residents of Abiemnom town from a massacre on March 1. A group of 1,000 to 1,500 armed men from Unity State’s Mayom County killed over 200 people and destroyed homes during a four-hour attack. This event is one of South Sudan’s largest documented massacres since 2020.
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, stated that both the government and UNMISS had two weeks' advance knowledge of the likely attack. Survivors reported warnings about Mayom County men mobilizing weapons and fighters. UNMISS acknowledged high tensions and that around 1,000 people sought protection at its base before the violence escalated.
Amnesty International found that the massacre may have been triggered by unresolved killings in Abiemnom County and fueled by impunity for a prior attack. The organization called for an urgent, independent investigation to hold perpetrators accountable and provide justice for victims and their families.
Why it mattersOver 200 people were killed and their property destroyed in a massacre that authorities and the UN knew was coming.