JUBA – Reports have emerged of a devastating raid in a remote area of South Sudan, where insurgents reportedly killed 169 people, including women and children.
The attack has highlighted the deteriorating security situation in the world’s youngest nation, even as the civil war in neighboring Sudan enters its fourth year. UN peacekeepers in the region are currently in a standoff with the South Sudanese military, after defying orders to vacate a town held by opposition forces.
The UN argues that their presence is vital to protect civilians caught in the crossfire of localized ethnic militias.
The regional instability is further complicated by the defection of a high-profile paramilitary commander from Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to the Sudanese army.
The defector, Maj. Gen. al-Nour Ahmed Adam, joined the military with dozens of fighters near the border, a move that could shift the tactical balance in the ongoing Sudanese conflict, which continues to drive thousands of refugees across the border into South Sudan every week.
