South Sudanese army officer and soldiers arrested over death of UN staff member
NAIROBI, Kenya– A United Nations staff member was found dead in South Sudan days after being taken into custody by security personnel, the world organization said in a statement.
Army Lt. Lino Mariak Chol and two other soldiers were arrested after admitting to the killing and revealing the whereabouts of the body, said Saninto Udol, a police spokesman. The body was found Thursday in a residential area.
Bol Roch Mayol, a South Sudanese national, was taken from a UN vehicle by five South Sudanese soldiers on Monday following a routine patrol to an internally displaced persons camp on the outskirts of the northern town of Wau. Mayol’s UN vehicle had stopped on the side of a road after suffering a flat tire, Udol said.
“We are devastated by the loss of our colleague,” Anita Kiki Gbeho, head of the UN mission in South Sudan, said on Friday.
Mayol was a language assistant who worked with the United Nations mission in South Sudan, or UNMISS, since its establishment in 2011.
UNMISS spokesperson Priyanka Chowdhury said authorities and the UN mission are trying to establish the exact circumstances of the death.
Chowdhury said UNMISS had no indication that the killing was ordered or orchestrated.
After his arrest on Monday, the UN contacted army commanders to inquire about Mayol’s whereabouts and UN officials were invited to visit army detention centers in Wau.
Gbeho said the killing was “unacceptable” and called for an immediate and thorough investigation to ensure responsible parties are held accountable.
The South Sudanese army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
No motive has been established.
South Sudan has long been one of the most dangerous countries in the world for aid workers and attacks and kidnappings increased in 2025. In the first half of the year, 25 aid workers or contractors were killed or injured, compared to 15 in the same period the previous year. The vast majority of aid workers subjected to violence were South Sudanese, the UN reported.
The United States warned earlier this month that it could cut its foreign aid to South Sudan, accusing the government of imposing exorbitant fees on humanitarian groups and hampering their operations.
UNMISS is in the process of reducing its staff following a 15% budget reduction. The reduction comes amid a sharp upswing in fighting that has left more than 1,000 civilians dead, some in indiscriminate bombings or extrajudicial killings by security personnel, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said.
