Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into the killing of more than 200 people during a deadly attack in Abiemnom town, South Sudan, accusing government authorities and United Nations peacekeepers of failing to prevent the massacre despite receiving advance warnings.
In a report released on Thursday, November 12, 2026, the human rights organisation said both South Sudanese authorities and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) had information about a possible attack nearly two weeks before the violence erupted on March 1, 2026.
The report, titled The Abiemnom Massacre: Inaction and Impunity in South Sudan, documents how between 1,000 and 1,500 armed men from Mayom County in Unity State launched an attack on Abiemnom, killing more than 200 people and leaving several others injured.
The four-hour assault also saw homes and businesses destroyed, property looted and parts of the local hospital ransacked.
Amnesty's Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, said the authorities had failed to provide adequate protection to residents despite having information suggesting that an attack was imminent.
He described the incident as one of the largest documented massacres in South Sudan since 2020 and called for an urgent, independent and transparent investigation.
According to the organisation, the violence may have been triggered by unresolved killings of young men from Mayom County in Abiemnom, alongside continued impunity over an earlier attack.
Amnesty said community members had raised concerns about the mobilisation of armed men and weapons ahead of the March 1 assault.
UNMISS also acknowledged that tensions had escalated from mid-February, with approximately 1,000 residents seeking protection at its Temporary Operating Base after violence intensified two days before the massacre.
However, the organisation questioned why additional peacekeeping personnel were deployed only after the attack, despite the warning signs that had emerged earlier.
The human rights group said the failure by both the government and the UN mission to take stronger preventive measures contributed to the loss of lives.
Survivors interviewed by Amnesty described horrifying scenes as armed men entered homes, shooting residents at close range and killing people who were attempting to escape.
One survivor, identified as Nyandeng, recounted how her daughter-in-law was shot in the head while holding her youngest child.
Children were also among those killed. A 28-year-old mother told researchers that her 10-year-old daughter was shot dead as they attempted to flee the fighting.
The organisation further documented killings near the UNMISS base, where residents had gathered hoping to find safety. Seven of the deaths it documented occurred outside the facility's rear gates.
Amnesty also reported that more than 230 structures were destroyed by fire, according to satellite images reviewed during its investigations. The attackers also looted medical supplies and mattresses from the local hospital.
South Sudanese authorities reported at least 213 deaths, including 130 residents, 76 security personnel and seven foreign nationals.
Following the massacre, the entire population reportedly fled Abiemnom, with many survivors remaining in displacement sites away from the town because they feared returning without security guarantees.
Amnesty International is now urging the government to investigate the killings, prosecute those found responsible and establish a parliamentary inquiry into the incident.
It has also called for compensation and support for survivors and affected families, including medical care, psychosocial assistance and livelihood support.
The organisation further wants UNMISS to conduct an independent review of its response before, during and after the attack and make its findings public.
Chagutah said survivors deserved truth and justice, warning that continued failure to hold perpetrators accountable would allow violence and suffering to persist in South Sudan.
