An ambush has killed two United Nations peacekeepers in South Sudan, as fears mount that the country risks sliding into full-scale civil war.
The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said in a statement on Monday that armed men attacked a patrol travelling toward Pajut in Jonglei state. The identities and nationalities of those killed have not yet been disclosed.
Three other peacekeepers were wounded in the attack, along with two South Sudanese police officers and two civilian staff attached to the mission. UNMISS said it deployed a Quick Reaction Force to secure the area and support the emergency response.
Anita Kiki Gbeho, head of the mission, condemned the attack, saying deadly violence targeting UNMISS personnel serving to support peace in South Sudan was unacceptable.
While attacks on humanitarian workers have been frequent this year, violence against peacekeepers remains rare. UN figures show more than 450 attacks on humanitarian workers and assets between January and July — more than double last year’s total for the same period — with at least 36 humanitarian workers and contractors killed, already surpassing the 31 killed across all of 2025.
The violence comes amid months of grinding conflict between government troops and forces loyal to opposition leader Riek Machar, who was suspended as vice president last year and now sits under house arrest facing treason charges he says are politically motivated.
