Amnesty International has accused United Nations peacekeepers and South Sudanese authorities of failing to prevent a deadly attack in Abiemnom that left more than 200 people dead earlier this year, despite receiving warnings of an impending raid.
In a report published on Thursday, November 12, the human rights organisation said the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) had information indicating that an attack on the village, near the Sudan border, was likely but failed to reinforce its approximately 36 peacekeepers stationed there before the March 1 assault.
Amnesty said between 1,000 and 1,500 armed men from neighbouring Mayom County attacked residents, burned homes and looted part of a hospital.
Authorities put the death toll at more than 200, including 130 residents, 76 security personnel and seven foreign nationals. Satellite images cited in the report showed that more than 230 structures had been burned, while most victims were buried in two mass graves.
The rights group said the attack may have been triggered by tensions following earlier killings of several young men from Mayom County.
Amnesty’s Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, said both the South Sudanese government and UNMISS had sufficient information and time to take preventive action.
However, UNMISS spokesperson Priyanka Chowdhury defended the mission’s response, saying it operated with limited resources and prioritised protecting approximately 2,500 people who sought refuge at a protected area established ahead of the attack.
Chowdhury said the mission had repeatedly asked the national army to deploy additional forces after receiving early warnings, noting that tensions had been high since mid-February. UNMISS deployed an additional 40 police officers after the attack.
The report also questioned why reinforcements were not sent earlier, particularly following a similar deadly attack in April 2025.
The allegations come amid concerns over the capacity of UNMISS to protect civilians following budget cuts. In April, the UN Security Council reduced the mission’s authorised troop ceiling from 17,000 to 12,000, despite civilian protection remaining one of its core responsibilities.
South Sudan is scheduled to hold general elections on December 22, amid concerns that the vote could undermine the country’s fragile peace.
Amnesty has called for an independent investigation into the killings and a separate review of the peacekeepers’ response. South Sudanese authorities had not responded to two letters seeking their position on the report’s preliminary findings, according to the organisation.
