Insurgent attack in South Sudan leaves 169 dead, including local officials

Authorities in South Sudan have confirmed that at least 169 people were killed, including senior officials, when insurgents raided a village in the latest bout of sporadic violence, pushing the country closer to full-scale civil war.

Ruweng Administrative Area’s Information Minister James Monyluak Mijok described the attack as carried out by dozens of armed youths from neighbouring Unity state, allegedly linked to the Sudan People's Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO).

Speaking to the BBC, Mijok said the attackers entered Abiemnom county in Ruweng at around 04:30 local time (02:30 GMT), catching residents asleep.

He added that government forces on the ground "were outnumbered... The assailants set fire to homes and markets during fighting that lasted between three and four hours."

Mijok said among the dead were 90 children, women, and elderly people, along with 79 members of local security forces, including police officers. Another 50 people were injured, most of whom were taken to the nearby Abyei Administrative Area for treatment.

Several senior local officials, including the county commissioner and executive director, were among those killed.

According to PBS News, the killings are part of an escalating wave of violence across South Sudan, as forces loyal to President Salva Kiir battle men believed to support opposition leader Riek Machar.

Stephano Wieu De Mialek, chief administrator of Ruweng Administrative Area, said elements linked to the White Army militia and forces affiliated with Machar's Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition carried out the assault.

Wieu described the attack as coordinated and organised, calling it an act of rebellion.

Machar’s group denied responsibility, stating it "has no military presence in the area concerned."

Machar was Kiir’s deputy until September, when he was removed following criminal charges. He is under house arrest in Juba, the capital, as his trial continues.

The conflict escalated in December when opposition forces seized government outposts in Jonglei, an opposition stronghold and a flashpoint in renewed fighting that the U.N. says has displaced 280,000 people. The U.S. is urging talks between Kiir and Machar.