The death toll from a pre-dawn attack in northern South Sudan has risen to 178, according to a senior local official, in one of...

The death toll from a pre-dawn attack in northern South Sudan has risen to 178, according to a senior local official, in one of the deadliest incidents reported in the region in recent months. James Monyluak Mijok, information minister for the Ruweng Administrative Area, said that dozens of heavily armed youths stormed Abiemnom county early on Sunday morning, catching residents off guard while they were asleep. He alleged that the attackers came from neighbouring Unity state and were linked to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO), the main opposition movement led by Vice-President Riek Machar. The SPLA-IO has denied involvement and accused authorities of politicising the violence. According to Mijok, those killed include 90 women, children...