Two peacekeepers were killed in an ambush in Jonglei state of South Sudan on Monday (August 24, 2026), the United Nations said.

Jonglei state, in the east of the highly unstable east African country, has been a focus of recent conflict between the government and opposition forces.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said the attack by “unidentified armed individuals” happened as a patrol was heading to the town of Pajut, and could “constitute war crimes”.

“Two peacekeepers were killed in the attack, while seven others were injured, including three peacekeepers, two South Sudan National Police Service personnel and two civilian staff,” it said in a statement, strongly condemning the incident.

UNMISS said it had deployed a “Quick Reaction Force” to the area.

“Such deadly violence targeting UNMISS personnel who are serving to support peace in South Sudan is unacceptable. I extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the peacekeepers who lost their lives and wish those injured a speedy recovery,” said Anita Kiki Gbeho, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS.

South Sudan, one of the poorest and most corrupt nations in the world, gained independence in 2011 but soon after fell into civil war.

A power-sharing deal ended the war in 2018, but has lately been falling apart, even as the government of President Salva Kiir attempts to hold the country’s first elections in December.

The United States is terminating South Sudan’s designation for temporary protected status, which for years allowed people from the East African country to remain in the U.S. legally and escape armed conflict back home.

The termination will be effective Jan. 5, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

“After conferring with interagency partners, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem determined that conditions in South Sudan no longer meet the TPS statutory requirements,” the statement said.

It added that South Sudanese nationals who use the Customs and Border Protection mobile app to report their departure could receive “a complimentary plane ticket, a $1,000 exit bonus, and potential future opportunities for legal immigration.”

The new policy is a blow to people from South Sudan, a nation that remains politically unstable and the source of many refugees seeking shelter abroad.

A peace deal to end fighting between rival forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and to his erstwhile deputy Riek Machar, has been in force since 2018, but observers say it is slowly unraveling after the arrest earlier this year of Machar on criminal charges.

Mr. Kiir said he suspended Mr. Machar as his First Vice President so that his deputy could face charges including treason.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has moved to withdraw various protections that have allowed immigrants to remain in the United States and work legally, including ending temporary status for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans and Haitians who were granted protection under President Joe Biden.

South Sudan has been designated for temporary protected status since 2011, when it became independent from Sudan. The designation is renewed in 18-month increments.