South Sudan on the Precipice of Civil War as Attacks Escalate. Juba, South Sudan — March 3, 2026 South Sudan is on the brink of a return to full-blown civil war as violence between government forces and opposition groups escalates, according to reports. At least 169 people, including women, children, and government security forces, were killed in a recent raid near the Sudan border, indicating a dramatic increase in the conflict’s severity.
The violence follows a series of clashes between the military loyal to President Salva Kiir and insurgents believed to be aligned with the suspended vice — president, Riek Machar.
According to local reports, the latest attack was carried out by armed youth from Mayom county, which borders Abiemnom county near the Sudan border.
The UN mission in South Sudan has sheltered more than 1,000 civilians at its base in the area, providing medical care to those injured.
The UN also reported that about 23 people were wounded in the attack.
The situation has further complicated with the White Army, a militia that was allied with Machar during the civil war, along with forces affiliated with Machar’s political party and rebel group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), being implicated in the assault.
The humanitarian situation in the region has deteriorated significantly.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that 26 of its staff were unaccounted for after recent violence in Jonglei state, which has been witnessing intense fighting between government and opposition forces since December.
The organization was forced to suspend medical activities in Lankien and Pieri due to the insecurity. South Sudan’s descent into civil war in 2013 followed the firing of Machar by Kiir and allegations of a coup plot.
The conflict, which pitted Kiir’s majority Dinka community against Machar’s Nuer, killed over 400,000 people and displaced nearly half the country’s population.
A peace deal was signed in 2018, but implementation has been fraught with challenges, particularly regarding power-sharing.
The current situation has inflamed tensions, particularly in Jonglei state, where opposition forces captured government outposts in December and the government has been conducting a counteroffensive since January.
The fighting has displaced an estimated 280,000 people over the past two months.
The UN’s high commissioner for human rights has called for urgent action to preserve the peace agreement and prevent a return to all-out civil war. “We are at a dangerous point, when rising violence is combined with deepening uncertainty over South Sudan’s political trajectory, as the peace agreement comes under severe strain,” Volker Türk told the UN Human Rights Council.
Further details are expected as the situation continues to develop.
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Source: South Sudan on the brink of civil war, top UN official warns — news. Un.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
