Voilence surging in South Sudan

The United Nations on Tuesday warned of a sharp escalation in violence in South Sudan, driven by political deadlock among the signatories to the country’s fragile peace deal, as clashes, displacement and humanitarian access restrictions worsen. Briefing the UN Security Council, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said rising tensions linked to stalled implementation of the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement had led to armed confrontations across several regions, particularly in Jonglei state. He said fighting between government and opposition forces had intensified in recent weeks, with reports of aerial bombardments, inflammatory rhetoric and mass displacement. More than 280,000 people have been displaced by violence in Jonglei alone, according to government figures, he added. Lacroix expressed concern over reports that government forces had ordered the temporary relocation of civilians, as well as UN and humanitarian personnel, from parts of Jonglei in late January ahead of a planned military operation, although authorities later denied issuing such instructions. He also warned that unilateral initiatives to amend the 2018 peace agreement, including proposals to delay constitution-making until after elections, risk undermining the accord’s primacy. The main opposition group, the SPLM/A-IO, has rejected the initiatives, citing ongoing legal proceedings involving First Vice President Riek Machar and demanding his release before engaging in political dialogue. South Sudan remains one of the most dangerous countries for aid workers, Lacroix said, noting that 350 attacks on humanitarian staff and facilities were recorded in 2025, up from 255 the previous year. Access constraints persist, particularly in opposition-held areas, as the country battles its worst cholera outbreak, with more than 98,000 cases reported since September 2024. He said violence in parts of Jonglei had forced the closure of nutrition sites and health facilities, cutting off care for thousands of children and pregnant women, while recent attacks and looting of humanitarian barges in Upper Nile state had further shrunk humanitarian space. Lacroix also warned that cost-cutting measures at the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were limiting its ability to protect civilians, with patrols reduced by up to 70 percent in some areas and dozens of human rights monitoring missions cancelled. Despite these constraints, he said UNMISS continued to play a critical deterrent role, citing the mission’s presence in Akobo, Jonglei, as helping prevent possible aerial bombardments amid escalating fighting. Lacroix urged South Sudan’s leaders to step back from renewed conflict, return to inclusive dialogue and uphold the peace agreement, warning that elections held without consensus among all parties would lack credibility. “Without the participation of all those who have placed their hopes into this peace process, any election will not be credible and therefore not worthy of our support,” he told the council.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/policy-and-rights--3339563/support.