Two UN Peacekeepers Killed in South Sudan Ambush; UN Chief Seeks Probe

Armed men ambushed a United Nations patrol in a remote part of South Sudan on Monday (August 24, 2026), killing two Ethiopian peacekeepers and wounding seven others, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said. The attack occurred as the patrol travelled towards the village of Pajut in Jonglei state.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that the two peacekeepers killed and three of the injured were from Ethiopia. The other wounded included two members of the South Sudanese police and two civilian staffers. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

UNMISS said it had deployed a Quick Reaction Force to secure the area and support emergency response efforts. Anita Kiki Gbeho, the head of UNMISS, condemned the strike, saying, “Such deadly violence targeting UNMISS personnel who are serving to support peace in South Sudan is unacceptable.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the ambush “in the strongest possible terms” and called for a prompt investigation that would lead to the prosecution of those responsible, Dujarric added. He reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to stand with the victims and their families during this profoundly difficult time.

Dujarric stressed that attacks against UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law. The killings bring the number of peacekeepers killed by militias since January 1 this year to nine.

South Sudan has been wracked by political instability and violence for years. Government troops have been fighting fighters and militias loyal to opposition leader Riek Machar, who was suspended as vice president last year and faces charges of treason and other offences. Machar denies the charges, calling them politically motivated.

A 2018 peace deal between President Salva Kiir and Machar, who is currently under house arrest, has collapsed, raising fears of a return to full-blown civil war. The conflict escalated in December when opposition forces seized government outposts in Jonglei. The government has carried out a counteroffensive since January, including aerial bombardments and ground assaults, despite official commitments to the peace agreement.

The broader insecurity is evident in attacks on aid workers. Between January and July, more than 450 incidents of violence against humanitarian workers and assets were reported, more than double the number recorded during the same period last year, according to UN figures.

The United States has urged talks between Kiir and Machar, calling earlier this year for “urgent action to uphold peace and mitigate the risk of civil war through an immediate return to dialogue among the parties to the 2018 peace agreement.”