# Over 130 Dead as Twin Crises Devastate South Sudan
**At least 74 people were killed in a brutal attack on a gold mining site in Central Equatoria State, while simultaneous violence in Jonglei State has left another 58 dead and tens of thousands stranded without aid — exposing a deepening security and humanitarian catastrophe in South Sudan.**
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The violence erupted on the evening of March 28, 2026, when unknown armed men stormed a gold mining site at Jebel Iraq in Central Equatoria State. According to Kwacijwok Dominic Amandoch, spokesperson for the South Sudan National Police Service, the attackers opened fire on civilians engaged in gold mining, killing more than 74 people. Some victims remain missing in the forest.
“Eleven bodies have so far been transported to a mortuary, while efforts are ongoing to locate those missing,” Amandoch said in Juba, warning the death toll could rise further. Security forces, including police and the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, have been deployed to the area to conduct rescue operations and assess the situation.
Authorities have yet to identify the attackers, though there are unconfirmed reports of an opposition-linked armed camp operating near the scene. Eyewitnesses told local media that the gunmen passed through the Anguwan Rukuba junction before opening fire, forcing panicked miners to scatter into the bush.
## A Humanitarian Emergency in Jonglei
The killing at Jebel Iraq came as a separate wave of violence ravaged Jonglei State, where at least 58 people have died following attacks in Lankien and Pieri. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the international medical charity, said around 30,000 displaced people are now stranded in Nyatim, sheltering under trees in swampy terrain with minimal access to food, clean water, or healthcare.
Gul Badshah, MSF operations manager, described the conditions as catastrophic. “People are dying of suspected hunger, as their only food is boiled tree leaves. Children have also died from acute watery diarrhoea and suspected malaria,” he said.
The humanitarian crisis is being exacerbated by a blockade on aid access. MSF reported that humanitarian corridors to Nyatim have been blocked for nearly a month, preventing aid agencies from reaching those in desperate need. The charity has called on South Sudanese authorities to allow urgent humanitarian access and urged the international community to facilitate life-saving assistance.
Women, children, and the elderly bear the heaviest burden of the displacement. MSF also documented ongoing insecurity, including abductions and attacks on civilians searching for food and water — a grim illustration of how violence has rendered basic survival itself a lethal undertaking.
## A Nation Already on the Brink
South Sudan has been struggling with chronic instability since gaining independence in 2011. The civil war that erupted in 2013 — just two years after independence — lasted five years and killed an estimated 400,000 people. Although a peace agreement in 2018 brought relative calm, localised violence has never truly ceased, and communities across the country remain vulnerable to attacks by militia groups, ethnic militias, and armed cattle raiders.
The latest surge in violence has drawn sharp criticism from international observers. The so-called Troika — comprising Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States — alongside multiple aid agencies, had raised the alarm earlier in March over escalating violence in South Sudan. Their warnings appear to have gone unheeded.
Jonglei State, in particular, has been the epicentre of inter-communal violence and clashes between government forces and opposition-aligned groups. Its vast marshlands and remote settlements have historically made it difficult for state authority — or humanitarian assistance — to reach those in need.
## Displacement Reaches Critical Levels
The combination of mining-site bloodshed in Central Equatoria and the mass displacement in Jonglei has pushed South Sudan’s humanitarian infrastructure to its limits. With tens of thousands now homeless and cut off from aid, the risk of disease outbreaks, starvation, and further violence looms large.
The African Union and the United Nations have been urged to intervene, both to broker a ceasefire and to secure humanitarian access. For now, however, the situation on the ground remains dire, with families burying their dead while wondering whether they will be next.
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*This article was compiled from reports by Xinhua, The EastAfrican, and MSF field communications.*