Juba; 15 December 2025: Today marks 12 years since the massacre of Nuer civilians in Juba, an event widely attributed to forces loyal to President Salva Kiir, including a private militia reportedly trained and armed under the authority of then–Northern Bahr El Ghazal Governor, Gen. Paul Malong Awan. To date, no senior government official, including President Kiir, has publicly apologized to the Nuer community for the killings. 

What began as an internal political dispute within the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in December 2013 rapidly escalated into targeted ethnic violence against the Nuer population. Between 13 and 15 December 2013, more than 20,000 Nuer civilians were reportedly killed in Juba alone. 

Survivors and eyewitnesses later testified before a high-level African Union Commission of Inquiry, chaired by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. Their testimonies alleged that government forces and allied militias disposed of bodies in mass graves at undisclosed locations across the capital. Some survivors further reported extreme abuses, including claims that civilians were forced to consume human remains. 

Despite repeated calls from the African Union and the international community to establish a Hybrid Court for South Sudan to prosecute those responsible for the atrocities, the government has consistently resisted its formation. Instead, President Kiir later initiated a National Dialogue process. When the findings of that dialogue reportedly failed to align with government interests, they were neither implemented nor made public. 

On this anniversary, advocates for justice and accountability reaffirm their commitment to pursuing redress for the victims of the Juba massacre, as well as other minority communities affected by ethnic violence across the country. They argue that accountability must extend to the highest levels of leadership, including President Kiir. 

As the nation reflects on the events of December 2013 and the renewed violence of July 2016, families of the victims continue to seek justice, recognition, and healing, holding onto hope that one day accountability will prevail. 

SSLN