South Sudan gold mine attack kills at least 74

Gunmen killed at least 74 people at a gold mining site on the outskirts of Juba in South Sudan over the weekend following a dispute, police said, the Associated Press reported on 31 March.

The attack took place at Jebel Iraq in Central Equatoria State, an area that has previously seen clashes linked to illegal mining. A video shared online showed dozens of bodies lying on the ground, while a local journalist said more victims were believed to have fled into nearby bushland.

Police spokesperson Kwacijwok Dominic Amondoc said more than 70 people had been killed and many others injured in the assault. He said the attackers were unidentified and that further details would be released as more information became available.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army – In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) condemned the killings and blamed government forces for the attack. In a statement, the group said the mining area was under the control of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and held them responsible.

Government officials also condemned the attack and blamed armed rebel groups for the violence. According to BBC Africa, Central Equatoria’s acting governor said the authorities were “shocked and outraged” by what he described as a “brutal and barbaric” killing of civilians. A deputy information minister accused opposition forces of carrying out the attack.

An army spokesperson said he could not comment on the incident.

A civil rights organisation, the Nile Institute for the Study of Human Rights and Transitional Justice, condemned the killings and called for stronger oversight in resource-rich areas. It said the violence highlighted the vulnerability of civilians in regions with weak security and unregulated mining activity.

Human rights activist Edmund Yakani urged authorities to address what he described as growing competition between communities over natural resources. He called on the government to intervene and stop illegal gold mining across the country.

Gold mining in South Sudan is largely unregulated, with state authorities operating independently of the central government. Sites such as Jebel Iraq have previously been the scene of violent clashes involving illegal miners. Research by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime has also highlighted risks linked to informal mining and weak oversight in the sector.

Associated Press, BBC Africa, GIATOC, Maghrebi.org