JUBA — At least 169 people were killed in an insurgent attack on a remote village in South Sudan’s Ruweng administrative area, with 90 of the victims being civilians, according to local officials. The attack on Sunday in Abiemnom county has reignited fears of a full-blown civil war in the fragile nation, which has struggled to maintain peace since a five-year conflict ended in 2018.

Attack Details and Aftermath

James Monyluak, the information minister for Ruweng, confirmed the deaths, stating that women and children were among those killed, alongside dozens of combatants. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reported that 1,000 people sought shelter at its base following the attack, with 23 individuals wounded.

“Such violence places civilians at grave risk and must stop immediately,” said Anita Kiki Gbeho, a UNMISS official, in a statement. “I urge all involved to cease hostilities without delay and engage in constructive dialogue to address their grievances.”

UNMISS expressed concern over reports indicating that dozens of civilians and some local officials have lost their lives. The organization pledged to continue protecting those seeking refuge at its base, according to the statement.

Escalating Conflict and Political Tensions

The attack is part of an escalating wave of violence in South Sudan, where government forces loyal to President Salva Kiir are clashing with armed men believed to be loyal to opposition leader Riek Machar. Local officials suggested that the armed youths involved in the attack have ties to Machar’s group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In-Opposition (SPLM-IO).

SPLM-IO denied responsibility for the attack, stating that it “has no military presence in the area concerned.” Machar, who was Kiir’s deputy until September 2023, was removed after facing criminal charges and is currently under house arrest in Juba, the capital, as his trial continues.

The U.S. government has called for renewed talks between Kiir and Machar, emphasizing the need for de-escalation. The violence threatens to unravel the fragile peace agreement reached in 2018, which ended a brutal civil war that killed an estimated 400,000 people and displaced millions.

Following the agreement, Machar was appointed South Sudan’s first vice president in a government of national unity. However, a U.N. inquiry has found that South Sudan’s leaders are “systematically dismantling” the peace deal, undermining efforts to stabilize the country.

Humanitarian Crisis and International Concerns

Machar’s supporters claim the charges against him are politically motivated, with his removal from office coinciding with a sharp increase in violence. The conflict escalated in December when opposition forces seized government outposts in Jonglei county, an opposition stronghold and a flashpoint in renewed fighting.

The U.N. estimates that the violence has displaced 280,000 people, with aid groups warning that access restrictions to opposition-held areas are endangering civilian lives. Despite an official commitment to the peace agreement, the government has conducted a counteroffensive since January, employing aerial bombardments and ground assaults.

The international community, including the United States, has expressed deep concern over the resurgence of violence. The U.S. State Department has called for immediate dialogue between Kiir and Machar to prevent further escalation and protect civilians.

With the death toll from the latest attack reaching 169, the situation in South Sudan remains volatile, with no clear end in sight to the conflict that continues to claim lives and destabilize the region.