Two Ethiopian United Nations peacekeepers were killed and seven other people injured in an ambush in South Sudan on Monday, August 24, 2026, amid worsening insecurity in the country.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said unidentified armed individuals attacked a patrol travelling to Pajut in Jonglei State, an area that has experienced recent clashes between government and opposition forces.
The mission said the attack could constitute a war crime. The seven injured included three peacekeepers, two South Sudan National Police Service personnel and two civilian staff. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, while UNMISS deployed a Quick Reaction Force to the area.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over violence against humanitarian and international personnel. UNMISS said earlier in August 2026 that 36 humanitarian workers had been killed in South Sudan so far this year. South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011, descended into civil war before a 2018 power-sharing agreement brought an end to the conflict. However, the deal has come under increasing strain amid renewed political and security tensions.
The instability comes as the Government prepares to hold the country’s first elections in December 2026. A UN-appointed Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan warned last week that holding elections under the prevailing conditions could trigger renewed conflict and atrocity crimes.