Sudan/South Sudan: Closed Consultations
This afternoon (18 March), Security Council members will convene for closed consultations under the agenda item “Sudan/South Sudan”. The US—supported by the Council’s “A3 plus” members (Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Guyana)—requested the meeting to discuss the recent outbreak of violence in South Sudan and its implications for the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Another likely focus of the meeting is developments in the area of operations of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee is expected to brief.
In mid-February, clashes erupted in Nasir County in the Upper Nile state between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), the government’s forces, and local armed youth from the Nuer community, known as the White Army, which is linked to Riek Machar, South Sudan’s First Vice-President and the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO). According to an 18 February UNMISS press release, the fighting involved heavy weaponry and resulted in casualties among both civilians and armed personnel. The statement added that a pre-planned UNMISS patrol was caught in the crossfire, with a UN peacekeeper sustaining injuries during mortar shelling.
According to media reports, tensions had escalated after the government deployed additional forces to Nasir County, including fighters from the Agwelek and Abushok militias. While the SSPDF described the deployment as a routine troop rotation, Machar argued that it violates the ceasefire and transitional security arrangements established by the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), leading to increased tensions and insecurity.
The situation worsened when fighting resumed earlier this month, after the White Army seized control of an SSPDF base in Nasir on 4 March. Media reports indicated that dozens may have been killed on both sides and several SSPDF soldiers had been trapped in the area. On 7 March, a UN helicopter conducting an evacuation mission came under fire, resulting in the death of one UN crew member and serious injuries to two others. According to UNMISS, the operation was carried out at the request of all parties involved, with assurances of safe passage for those trapped. Nevertheless, 28 SSPDF soldiers, including a general, were reportedly killed during UNMISS’ attempt to extract them.
In the wake of these violent clashes, the South Sudanese government reportedly detained at least 22 political and military figures aligned with Machar, including General Gabriel Duop Lam, the SPLM-IO’s acting chief of staff. Media reports also noted that government security forces have been surrounding Machar’s residence. On 11 March, Uganda’s military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, confirmed that the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) had deployed to Juba, South Sudan’s capital, following a request from the South Sudanese government.
The security situation in Nasir and surrounding areas remains precarious, despite several calls from the international community to de-escalate tensions. On 16 March, an airstrike struck Nasir, reportedly killing at least 21 civilians and causing significant destruction in residential areas. Media reports cited local witnesses who attributed the attack to the SSPDF, with some also accusing the UPDF. At the time of writing, South Sudanese officials have not issued an official statement on the incident. The country’s fragility has been further highlighted by violence that has also been reported in Western Bahr el Ghazal and Western Equatoria states.
Earlier today (18 March), the SPLM-IO reportedly announced the immediate suspension of its participation in key security and political mechanisms established under the R-ARCSS, citing the detention of its officials, escalating violence, and the presence of Ugandan troops in the country.
South Sudan has faced persistent instability despite the signing of the R-ARCSS in 2018, which ended a civil war that claimed over 400,000 lives. Consistent delays in implementing key provisions of the agreement, including elections and security arrangements, have been a source of concern for the international community. In September 2024, the South Sudanese authorities extended the transitional period for the fourth time, postponing the country’s first post-independence elections to December 2026. While the revitalised agreement has so far prevented large-scale clashes, local violence persists, with recent unrest heightening fears of a return to full-scale conflict.
In the last few weeks, several regional and international interlocutors have expressed alarm about the deteriorating security situation in the country. On 12 March, the 43rd extraordinary summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Heads of State and Government convened virtually. Among other things, the participants decided to establish an IGAD ministerial-level sub-committee on South Sudan that would travel to Juba to conduct an assessment “on modalities of initiating an inclusive dialogue” on the status of the R-ARCSS and the Kenya-led Tumaini initiative. (This initiative refers to the high-level mediation talks between South Sudan’s transitional government and the non-signatories to the revitalised agreement.)
During a meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) earlier today, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Head of UNMISS Nicholas Haysom stressed the urgent need to prevent a relapse into war and to fully implement the R-ARCSS. He urged the parties to return to consensus-based decision-making and to resolve tensions in Nasir through dialogue rather than military confrontation. Haysom also called for the immediate release of detained military and civilian officials. Additionally, he raised concerns over the growing spread of misinformation and hate speech, warning that it could lead to the conflict assuming an ethnic dimension. At today’s meeting, Pobee and several Council members are likely to reiterate some of these points, urging an immediate cessation of hostilities and calling on all parties to exercise maximum restraint. They may also call for a return to transitional security arrangements, including progress toward the unification of forces.
At today’s meeting, some members might be interested in learning more about how the conflict in Sudan is contributing to insecurity in South Sudan. Since the conflict in Sudan erupted in April 2023, over one million people—mostly South Sudanese returnees—have crossed into South Sudan, placing immense pressure on already struggling communities and straining scarce resources. The crisis further deepened economic instability, as damage to an oil pipeline in conflict-affected areas of Sudan disrupted South Sudan’s oil exports, the most vital source of revenue for the country. Media reports have also suggested that fighters from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Sudanese paramilitary group, have retreated into South Sudan following territorial losses to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) during a counteroffensive. The RSF reportedly recently clashed with SPLM-IO forces in an agricultural area east of Renk County in Upper Nile state, which resulted in the deaths of senior SPLM-IO officials and has raised concerns about potential cross-border alliances. (For background and more information, see the brief on South Sudan in our February 2025 Monthly Forecast.)
Another likely focus of today’s meeting is developments concerning UNISFA. On 5 March, the UN Secretariat circulated a white note to Council members detailing an incident on 28 February involving a UNISFA logistics convoy of 23 vehicles and 66 uniformed personnel that was travelling to supply fuel to the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM) headquarters in Kadugli, Sudan. (The JBVMM was established in 2011 to conduct monitoring and verification activities along the Sudan/South Sudan border.) According to the white note, the convoy was stopped by soldiers from the RSF near Nyama in West Kordofan state. The RSF soldiers removed eight civilian UN contractors and forced them to drive the vehicles to Babanusa, Sudan. Four peacekeepers accompanied the contractors for protection, while the remaining 62 peacekeepers were held at Nyama. Although those detained were eventually released, the RSF continues to hold eight trucks and 280,000 litres of fuel, valued at $519,960, in an undisclosed location. At today’s meeting, some Council members are likely to seek an update on the situation, including efforts to secure the release of the stolen fuel and trucks.
Yesterday (17 March), Council members issued a press statement condemning the RSF’s detention of UN peacekeepers, armed abduction of civilian personnel, and looting of UNISFA’s logistics convoy. The statement expressed deep alarm over threats to the safety and security of peacekeepers and civilian personnel and reiterated that attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes. It called for the RSF to be held accountable and for the immediate return of the UNISFA trucks and fuel. It further called on all parties to allow UNISFA to implement its mandated tasks without interference, including its support to the JBVMM.
At the time of writing, Council members were also negotiating a US-authored draft press statement on the situation in South Sudan.
