169 killed after raid in South Sudan

At least 169 people were killed after insurgents raided a village in a remote area of South Sudan, a local official said Monday. It's the latest bout of sporadic violence that has left the country teetering on the verge of full-blown civil war.

The victims, including 90 civilians, were attacked on Sunday in Abiemnom county, said James Monyluak, information minister for the administrative area of Ruweng. He said women and children were among the dead, in addition to dozens of combatants. The UN Mission in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, said in a statement that 1,000 people sought shelter at its base after the attack. “Such violence places civilians at grave risk and must stop immediately,” Anita Kiki Gbeho, a UNMISS official, said in a statement. “I urge all involved to cease hostilities without delay and engage in constructive dialogue to address their grievances.” “Our peacekeepers will continue to do everything within their capabilities to protect civilians seeking refuge at our base,” she added.

The UNMISS statement cited 23 wounded in the attack in Ruweng, as well as concern over “reports indicating that dozens of civilians and some local officials have lost their lives.”  The killings are part of an escalating wave of violence gripping South Sudan as government forces loyal to President Salva Kiir battle armed men who are believed to be loyal to opposition leader Riek Machar.

The armed youths who carried out the latest attack are believed to have ties with Machar's group, known as the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-In-Opposition. Machar was Kiir's deputy until September, when he was removed after he faced criminal charges. He is under house arrest in Juba, the South Sudan Capital, as his trial progresses.