Two UN peacekeepers killed in South Sudan ambush

Aug 24, 2026

On August 24, 2026, an ambush by unidentified gunmen in South Sudan's Jonglei State killed two Ethiopian UN peacekeepers and injured seven others. The attack on the UNMISS patrol traveling to Pajut comes amid a collapse of the 2018 peace deal between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar. UN officials warned the ambush may constitute a war crime, deploying a Quick Reaction Force as fears grow of South Sudan relapsing into a full-scale civil war.

Pajut ambush casualties

▪The August 24, 2026 ambush in Jonglei State injured seven other individuals, including three peacekeepers, two South Sudanese police officers, and two civilian staff members.
▪On August 24, 2026, unidentified armed men ambushed a United Nations Mission in South Sudan patrol traveling to Pajut in Jonglei State, killing two peacekeepers.

Ethiopian peacekeepers killed

▪The two United Nations peacekeepers killed and the three injured in the August 24, 2026 ambush in South Sudan were from Ethiopia.
▪The deaths of the two Ethiopian peacekeepers on August 24, 2026 brought the total number of United Nations peacekeepers killed in malicious acts worldwide in 2026 to nine.

UNMISS quick reaction force

▪Following the August 24, 2026 ambush, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan deployed a Quick Reaction Force to secure the area and support the emergency response.
▪Anita Kiki Gbeho, head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, condemned the August 24, 2026 ambush, calling deadly violence targeting peacekeepers unacceptable.

War crimes accountability

▪In June 2026, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution aimed at strengthening accountability for attacks on peacekeepers amid rising violence and low prosecution rates.
▪United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the August 24, 2026 ambush and called on South Sudanese authorities to conduct a prompt investigation to prosecute those responsible.
▪United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that attacks against United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.

South Sudan civil war

▪The conflict in South Sudan escalated in December 2025 when opposition forces seized government outposts in Jonglei State, prompting a government counteroffensive in January 2026.
▪The 2018 peace agreement between South Sudan President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar has collapsed, raising fears of a return to full-blown civil war.
▪South Sudan's government forces have been fighting militias loyal to opposition leader Riek Machar, who was suspended as vice president in 2025 and faces treason charges.

Attacks on humanitarian workers

▪At least 36 humanitarian workers and contractors were killed in South Sudan between January and July 2026, surpassing the 31 killed across the entirety of 2025.
▪Between January and July 2026, more than 450 incidents of violence against humanitarian workers were reported in South Sudan, doubling the previous year's period