The Abiemnon Massacre: Inaction and Impunity in South Sudan

In the early morning of March 1, 2026, a large group, estimated to be between 1,000 and 1,500 strong, of armed Nuer men from Mayom County in South Sudan’s Unity State, stormed Abiemnom town, in the Ruweng Administrative Area, killing a reported 213 people and injuring at least 109 people. The attackers raided and ransacked parts of the hospital and shops and burned homes and sections of the market. The attack lasted around four hours.

Government authorities and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were aware of numerous warning signs of a possible imminent attack on Abiemnom town in the days and weeks prior to March 1, 2026. Unity State authorities acknowledged receiving intelligence about a potential threat, while community leaders reported that residents of Mayom had warned relatives in Abiemnom that young men were mobilizing and weapons and ammunition were being assembled. Around 1,000 civilians had sought protection outside the UNMISS Temporary Operation Base on February 28. These warnings gave both state authorities and UNMISS time to take preventive measures.

Despite the ample warnings that the attack on Abiemnom was imminent, the government failed to undertake adequate preparation, including sufficient deployment of additional security forces to prevent the attack and protect the residents, thereby failing in its obligation to protect the people. Where town residents were killed or injured, the government failed to protect the right to life and bodily integrity. At the time of writing, the South Sudanese authorities also failed to investigate the attack and offer remedies to the victims. Given UNMISS’s prior knowledge of the possibility of an imminent attack, UNMISS ought to have done more to prevent the attack. The apparent failure of UNMISS to take stronger anticipatory or preventive action in the days leading up to March 1, when tensions were clearly observable, as well as their lack of public reporting dedicated to the Abiemnom massacre, raises serious questions about the mission’s performance.