South Sudan
Expected Council Action
In February, the Security Council will hold a briefing, followed by consultations, to discuss the situation in South Sudan. Special Representative and Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Nicholas Haysom is expected to brief on the Secretary-General’s 90-day report on South Sudan, which was circulated to Council members on 24 January, and developments in the country.
The mandate of UNMISS expires on 30 April.
Key Recent Developments
The most recent quarterly report of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC)—which is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS)—covering the period from 1 October to 31 December 2024, was released on 20 January. The report highlighted limited progress following the decision of South Sudanese authorities to extend the transitional period, postponing general elections until December 2026. It observed that the election-related bodies continue to suffer from a lack of adequate funding and have made slow progress in advancing key tasks, such as preparing the permanent constitution and moving the election process forward. The report noted that South Sudanese President Salva Kiir agreed to return the National Security Act 2014 (Amendment) Bill 2024 to the cabinet for re-tabling before the Transitional National Legislative Assembly. The bill granted the National Security Service broad powers to arrest and detain suspects without a warrant. (For background and more information, see the brief on South Sudan in our November 2024 Monthly Forecast.)
Regarding the transitional security arrangements, the RJMEC’s report said that the deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) remained limited, with no progress since the deployment of eight military battalions by April 2024. It further highlighted the lack of progress in the commencement of Phase II training of the NUF and the commissioning of middle-command echelon officers.
The Secretary-General’s 24 January report, covering developments from 16 October 2024 to 15 January, provided an update on the Tumaini Peace Initiative, which aims to reconcile the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) and the holdout groups, facilitated by Kenya in Nairobi. Negotiations, stalled since mid-July 2024, resumed on 4 December 2024 but faltered again because of disagreements over the agenda. The government delegation sought to revisit the eight protocols signed in July 2024 and separate the Tumaini talks from the revitalised agreement; opposition groups rejected this approach.
Four of the opposition groups involved in the mediation talks formed an umbrella group, the United Peoples Alliance (UPA), while National Salvation Front leader Thomas Cirilo reaffirmed his refusal to join the talks. The talks resumed on 20 January but continue to face significant challenges. While the government seeks to incorporate the holdout groups into the revitalised agreement, UPA argues that R-ARCSS is no longer relevant and insists that any outcome of the Tumaini talks should be a stand-alone agreement.
The security situation remains volatile, marked by frequent security incidents and persistent intercommunal and subnational violence in many areas of the country. During the period covered by the Secretary-General’s 24 January report, UNMISS verified 250 incidents of violence affecting 953 civilians, including 327 deaths, marking a 27 percent increase in incidents compared to the previous reporting period. The report noted that UNMISS maintained four temporary operating bases in Koch, Jamjang, Abiemnom, and Tambura to increase operational reach, deter attacks against civilians, and secure main supply routes.
In a 16 January press release, UNMISS expressed deep concern about reports of a series of violent clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (that is, government forces) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in Opposition in Nagero county of Western Equatoria state. The clashes continued in the following days, reportedly resulting in numerous civilian deaths and causing widespread displacement.
In mid-January, riots erupted in Juba following reports that the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied groups had killed 29 South Sudanese migrant workers after capturing Wad Madani, in Sudan’s Al Jazira state, from the Rapid Support Forces, a Sudanese paramilitary group. South Sudanese national police reportedly confirmed that the riots, which spread across four states, led to the deaths of 16 Sudanese nationals in reprisal attacks.
On 17 January, the African Union (AU) Ad Hoc High-Level Committee for South Sudan, known as the C5 (comprising Algeria, Chad, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa), arrived in Juba for a ministerial visit. According to a press statement delivered by South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Ozzy Lamola on behalf of the C5, the members met with President Kiir, First Vice-President Riek Machar, African ambassadors in Juba, and officials from RJMEC, UNMISS, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. The C5 emphasised the need to safeguard South Sudan’s political and security gains and announced plans to hold a heads of state meeting on the sidelines of the AU Summit in February in Addis Ababa.
Human Rights-Related Developments
On 9 December 2024, a delegation from the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan arrived in Kenya for a five-day visit aimed at promoting human rights and ensuring accountability for violations in South Sudan. During the visit, the delegation met with senior Kenyan government officials, representatives of international organisations, and civil society groups. The commission emphasised the importance of regional support for South Sudan’s transition, particularly from Kenya, which is facilitating the Tumaini Peace Initiative. The delegation also met with the Tumaini initiative’s negotiating team, stressing the urgency of safeguarding and accelerating key state-building measures in the peace agreement, including transitional justice, constitution-making, and reforms in security, the judiciary, and the economy.
Women, Peace and Security
Ahead of the 7 November 2024 Council briefing on the situation in South Sudan, the Council members that had signed on to the shared commitments on women, peace and security—which then included Ecuador, France, Guyana, Japan, Malta, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Switzerland, the UK, and the US—delivered a joint statement calling for women in South Sudan to be given more space to participate in politics “at all levels across all regions”, including in all election processes. Among other things, the statement noted that women and girls in South Sudan, including from refugee and internally displaced communities, “suffer among the highest levels of sexual and gender-based violence globally”, and it called on the government of South Sudan to hold perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence to account, end impunity, and take measures to protect civilians. It also called on the international community to provide direct support to women’s organisations assisting women and girls in South Sudan.
Key Issues and Options
The fundamental concern for the Council is the significant political and security challenges in South Sudan stemming from delays in the political transition and the implementation of the R-ARCSS. A key issue in this regard is what the Council can do to encourage the parties to make progress towards implementing the outstanding tasks of R-ARCSS and creating conditions necessary for holding elections, including providing adequate financial support to the election-related bodies. The shrinking political and civic space in the country also continues to be a particular concern for several Council members.
One option for the Council would be to invite the Interim Chairperson of the RJMEC, Major General (Retired) Charles Tai Gituai, to brief on the challenges facing South Sudan, including the implementation of the revitalised agreement and the progress in the ongoing Tumaini initiative mediation talks.
Council members could consider holding an informal interactive dialogue (IID) with the various stakeholders of the South Sudanese political process, the leadership of UNMISS, and interested regional and subregional member states and organisations. (The IID is a closed format that, unlike closed consultations, allows for the participation of non-UN officials and briefers.)
Another option for Council members would be to issue a press statement expressing concern about the consistent delays in implementing the peace agreement. The statement could urge all stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue to address outstanding tasks, including the agreed-upon benchmarks for holding peaceful general elections, in a timely manner. It could also call on all parties involved in the Tumaini Initiative, including non-signatories, to engage in good faith to resolve their differences.
An additional key issue for the Council is the humanitarian and food security situations. A related issue is the ongoing restrictions on humanitarian access and violence against aid workers in South Sudan. The Secretary-General’s 24 January report documented 111 incidents related to humanitarian access, including numerous attacks on humanitarian facilities, staff, and assets, between October 2024 and January. An option would be to seek regular briefings on these matters from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The impact of the conflict in neighbouring Sudan on the humanitarian, political, and security situations in South Sudan remains a matter of concern for Council members. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), approximately one million people, the majority of whom are South Sudanese refugee returnees, have crossed into South Sudan since the outbreak of fighting in Sudan on 15 April 2023. The influx of refugees and returnees has exacerbated the strain on local communities, which are already grappling with diminishing resources.
Council Dynamics
Most Council members have similar concerns about the delays in implementing the R-ARCSS, the ongoing sub-national and intercommunal violence, and the economic and humanitarian crises in South Sudan. Members, however, have diverging views about the context of the situation and the extent to which the Council can and should apply pressure on the parties to fully implement the peace agreement.
These dynamics were apparent during the Council’s 7 November 2024 briefing on the situation in South Sudan. Several Council members expressed regret and concern over the decision of South Sudanese authorities to extend the transitional period. The US was the most critical, expressing “profound disappointment” and criticising South Sudan’s leaders for lack of political will. It said that UNMISS “should not support elections unless and until the [t]ransitional [g]overnment dedicates and deploys its own resources—human and capital—to that effort”. Other members such as China, Russia and the A3+1 (Algeria, Sierra Leone, Guyana, and then-member Mozambique) took note of the decision and highlighted the progress made by the South Sudanese government despite the country’s severe challenges, including the dire humanitarian situation, intercommunal violence, and the economic crisis.
The US is the penholder on South Sudan.
UN DOCUMENTS ON SOUTH SUDAN
Security Council Resolutions | |
30 May 2024S/RES/2731 | This resolution renewed the South Sudan sanctions regime until 31 May 2025 and extended the mandate of the Panel of Experts of the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee until 1 July 2025. |
29 April 2024S/RES/2729 | This resolution renewed the mandate of UNMISS until 30 April 2025. |
Security Council Meeting Records | |
7 November 2024S/PV.9778 | This was a meeting on the situation in South Sudan. |