Gunmen kill more than 70 in South Sudan after a dispute at a gold mine

More than 70 people were killed after unknown gunmen attacked a gold mining site on the outskirts of Juba , the capital of South Sudan , over the weekend, police confirmed on Monday. The attack took place at Jebel Iraq in Central Equatoria State , an area long troubled by disputes over control of gold resources.

Several others were injured in the violence , and many people fled into nearby bushes to escape the attackers. Videos circulating online appeared to show dozens of bodies lying in an open area , highlighting the scale of the massacre. A local journalist said the death toll could rise because some victims remain missing after fleeing during the assault.

Police spokesperson Kwacijwok Dominic Amondoc said authorities were still collecting information from the remote site. “All I know is that unknown gunmen attacked Jebel Iraq at a gold mine. There are more than 70 dead and many more injured,” he said, adding that further details would be released once investigations progress.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army – In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) condemned the attack and accused government forces , known as the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) , of carrying out the killings. The opposition said the mining area lies within territory under the exclusive control of government troops, but the army has not commented on the allegation.

The Jebel Iraq gold mine has previously witnessed violent confrontations involving informal miners and companies seeking to exploit the deposits. Gold mining in South Sudan is largely unregulated , with state authorities often managing sites independently of the national government, creating fertile ground for disputes and armed competition.

Civil society groups, including the Nile Institute for the Study of Human Rights and Transitional Justice , condemned the killings and called for stronger governance in resource-rich regions. Activists and rights advocates warned that weak security and illegal mining activities continue to fuel deadly clashes over control of mineral resources.

Authorities have not announced any arrests, and investigations are ongoing to determine who carried out the attack and restore security around the contested mining site.