South Sudan: Briefing and Consultations
Tomorrow morning (16 April), the Security Council will hold an open briefing on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS Nicholas Haysom will brief on the Secretary-General’s latest 90-day report (S/2025/211), which was published on 7 April and covers developments from 16 January to 31 March. Director of the Operations and Advocacy Division at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Edem Wosornu will provide an update on the humanitarian situation in South Sudan. A civil society representative is also expected to brief. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the open briefing.
Prior to the meeting, nine signatories to the Shared Commitments on Women, Peace and Security (WPS)—Denmark, France, Greece, Guyana, Panama, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and the UK—are expected to deliver a joint statement on WPS in South Sudan. The US, which signed on to the Shared Commitments in 2023, will not participate in the joint statement.
Tensions have persisted in recent months as South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit made a series of unilateral appointments, replacing opposition officials with loyalists and reshuffling positions within his own faction, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). In early February, Kiir dismissed and reappointed several senior government officials, including two vice presidents. He appointed Benjamin Bol Mel as Vice President for the Economic Cluster and later named him the SPLM’s First Deputy Chairperson. Kiir also removed governors in Western Equatoria and Upper Nile states affiliated with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO). The opposition group has argued that these actions violate the power-sharing provisions of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
In early March, the security situation worsened in Nasir County in Upper Nile state following clashes 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. Kiir has accused the SPLM-IO’s leader, Riek Machar, of supporting the White Army, while the SPLM-IO has denied current links and coordination with the group. In response to the violent clashes, the South Sudanese government detained several political and military figures aligned with Machar. On 26 March, government security forces placed Machar under “house arrest” in Juba—a move that sparked widespread domestic and international reactions, including calls for his immediate release and a return to dialogue. While South Sudanese authorities indicated that Machar and other detained SPLM-IO officials would face trial, SPLM-IO Deputy Chairperson Oyet Nathaniel Pierino said that Machar’s detention “effectively brings the agreement to a collapse”. (For background and more information, see the brief on South Sudan in our April 2025 Monthly Forecast and 18 March What’s in Blue story.)
The security situation across several regions of South Sudan remains precarious. During the period covered by the Secretary-General’s report, violent incidents involving government and opposition forces have escalated in Western Bahr el-Ghazal, Western Equatoria, Unity, Jonglei, and Upper Nile states. In response to the fighting in Nasir County, government forces reportedly conducted airstrikes and launched attacks on opposition barracks outside Juba. In a 9 April press release, Human Rights Watch alleged that the government used improvised incendiary weapons in at least four attacks in Upper Nile state, resulting in the deaths of at least 58 people.
On 17 March, the South Sudanese government confirmed the presence of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in the country, citing a bilateral military agreement providing for technical support and training. The SPLM-IO criticised the deployment and accused the UPDF of violating the Security Council-imposed arms embargo on South Sudan and of taking part in airstrikes and attacks in Upper Nile State—allegations that Uganda has denied.
Regional and international stakeholders have intensified efforts to address the evolving political and security crisis. A high-level delegation of the African Union (AU) Panel of the Wise, led by former Burundian President Domitien Ndayizeye, visited Juba between 2 and 6 April. The mission’s aim was to assess the situation on the ground and promote dialogue; however, media reports indicate that while the delegation met with Kiir, they were unable to engage with Machar. Earlier this month, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni—one of the guarantors of the R-ARCSS—also travelled to Juba and met Kiir and other government officials. The Special Representative of the European Union (EU) to the Horn of Africa, Annette Weber, also visited Juba on 10 April. According to a press statement, she met with Bol Mel and other ministers but was not granted a meeting with Machar.
Tomorrow, Haysom is likely to echo remarks made by Secretary-General António Guterres during a 28 March press encounter on South Sudan. Guterres described a deepening security emergency marked by intensifying clashes, aerial bombardments of civilians, the involvement of foreign forces, and a growing regional dimension to the conflict. On the political front, he noted that the situation has deteriorated with Machar’s arrest, leaving the peace agreement “in shambles”. Guterres also warned of an increase in ethnic and political targeting by security forces and the dangerous spread of misinformation on social media, which could ignite even greater violence. He called for an end to confrontational politics, the immediate release of detained civilian and military officials, and the full restoration of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU).
The briefers and Council members are likely to call for a cessation of hostilities and urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint. They may call on all leaders to reaffirm their commitment to implementing the peace agreement, particularly the transitional security arrangements, and to engage in inclusive, consensus-based decision-making. Some members may advocate for constructive, direct dialogue among all parties to prevent further escalation. Additionally, some may stress the importance of adhering to sanctions measures in South Sudan, with a particular focus on effectively enforcing the arms embargo.
Wosornu and Council members are expected to express concern about the country’s worsening humanitarian crisis and escalating food insecurity. According to the Secretary-General’s report, between December 2024 and March, approximately 6.1 million people were at risk of experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, including 31,000 South Sudanese returnees from Sudan facing catastrophic or famine conditions. This figure is expected to rise during the lean season from April to July, when food supplies are typically low.
In a statement released earlier today (15 April), OCHA reported that since March, armed clashes and aerial bombardments have resulted in over 180 deaths, more than 250 injuries, and the displacement of an estimated 125,000 people. The violence has also claimed the lives of four humanitarian workers, while six health facilities have been forced to close due to looting and destruction. The statement added that services at Ulang Hospital—which provided “a lifeline” for 174,000 people—were suspended following extensive looting of several facilities in the area. It highlighted severe restrictions on humanitarian access, with critical medical supplies running low amidst an ongoing cholera outbreak that has already claimed 919 lives and infected nearly 49,000 people in South Sudan.
Wosornu and several members are likely to stress the parties’ international legal obligation to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including healthcare facilities, as well as medical and humanitarian personnel, and condemn the deliberate targeting of these individuals and facilities. They may also condemn the frequent human rights violations affecting civilians, including extrajudicial killings. Additionally, some members are expected to raise concerns about reported incidents of conflict-related sexual violence and underscore the importance of accountability and justice—issues highlighted in the Secretary-General’s latest report.
South Sudan also continues to grapple with the adverse humanitarian, security, and economic effects of the ongoing fighting in Sudan. Reports indicate a large influx of illegal arms into South Sudan, along with fighters from South Sudan joining both sides of the conflict in Sudan. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as at 13 April, approximately 1.1 million people have sought refuge in South Sudan since the onset of fighting on 15 April 2023. A 14 April UNHCR press release highlighted the challenges faced by local communities in South Sudan as they struggle to integrate people fleeing from Sudan. It also pointed to significant gaps in essential services, including overstretched healthcare facilities, medicine shortages, limited access to safe water, and housing challenges such as land disputes. (For more information, see our 18 March What’s in Blue story.)
