South Sudan stands on the brink of full-scale war as political and military elites systematically dismantle the 2018 peace agreement through arbitrary detentions, aerial bombardments of civilian areas and widespread sexual violence. The arrest and prosecution of First Vice President Riek Machar has shattered core power-sharing guarantees, triggering armed clashes not seen in a decade while entrenched impunity allows commanders to terrorize populations without accountability.
Armed militia from Mayom County launched a coordinated rebellion against Ruweng Administrative Area, massacring 169 people including two senior officials while burning markets and homes in a four-hour assault. Unity State authorities confirmed that SPLA-IO elements, not White Army forces, carried out the attack after merging with disarmed factions and obtaining weapons from Sudan.
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