South Sudan: Briefing and Consultations
Tomorrow morning (6 August), the Security Council will hold an open briefing on the situation in South Sudan and the work of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS Anita Kiki Gbeho is expected to brief on the Secretary-General’s latest 90-day report (S/2026/640), which was circulated to Council members on 31 July and covers developments from 16 April to 15 July. The Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), Major General (retired) George Aggrey Owinow, and a woman civil society representative are also expected to brief. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the open briefing. Denmark, the Council’s President in August, apparently plans to propose press elements during tomorrow’s closed consultations.
Denmark has indicated that it would like tomorrow’s meeting to have a focus on women, peace and security (WPS). In this context, Denmark is expected to deliver a statement prior to the meeting on behalf of the signatories to the Shared Commitments on WPS initiative—Colombia, Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Panama, and the UK. It seems that the statement will highlight the need to strengthen peace efforts in South Sudan. Among other things, it may call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and accountability for violations of international law. It may also condemn all acts of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and call for the provision of access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services to survivors. It may also stress the importance of the continued deployment of women’s protection advisers and gender advisers within UNMISS.
The Secretary-General’s report says that the political situation in South Sudan is marked by continued unilateral actions by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) to amend the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), raising concerns about the agreement’s primacy, as well as by a series of government reshuffles that have intensified political contestation. In the latest cabinet reshuffle, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir dismissed and appointed several senior officials, including the ministers of foreign affairs and international cooperation, finance, and the chief of the defence forces. Kiir also removed 57 legislators affiliated with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-in-Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), which had been led by First Vice President Riek Machar, through decrees issued on 15 and 20 May. On 3 July, he also replaced two commissioners of the National Elections Commission (NEC) who had been nominated by Machar. (For background and more information, see the brief on South Sudan in our August 2026 Monthly Forecast and 16 April What’s in Blue story.)
Amid limited progress on electoral preparations, including unresolved political decisions and legal questions regarding the type and levels of elections to be conducted, the NEC announced on 22 June that South Sudan’s first post-independence general elections, which have been repeatedly postponed, will take place on 22 December. At tomorrow’s meeting, Council members may be interested in Gbeho’s assessment of the country’s preparedness for the elections. They may also seek more information about UNMISS’ efforts to help foster conditions conducive to peaceful elections.
Additionally, on 17 April, the Council of Ministers—the 35-member cabinet that serves as the executive branch of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU)—approved a bill proposing amendments to the revitalised agreement. The bill faced strong opposition during the parliamentary debate, with members of the SPLM/A-IO walking out of the session on 11 May, arguing that the proposed amendments had been introduced unilaterally and undermined the power-sharing arrangements established under the agreement. Despite these objections, South Sudan’s parliament ratified the amendments bill on 1 July, postponing the population census and the permanent constitution-making process stipulated in the agreement until after the December elections.
Meanwhile, the security situation across South Sudan remains highly volatile, marked by continued hostilities between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the SPLM/A-IO, as well as violence involving other armed groups and intercommunal actors. During the reporting period, the Greater Upper Nile region remained a key flashpoint, with sustained clashes between the SSPDF and SPLM/A-IO, particularly in Jonglei state, where shifting territorial control contributed to repeated confrontations. Elsewhere, in the Greater Equatoria region, insecurity continued to be driven by a combination of armed group activity, pastoralist-related violence, and criminality. Intercommunal violence and cattle-related attacks remained the primary drivers of insecurity in the Greater Bahr el Ghazal region, particularly in Warrap and Lakes states, where recurrent clashes resulted in significant civilian casualties and displacement.
According to the Secretary-General’s report, the continued insecurity has been marked by serious violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights abuses. During the reporting period, UNMISS documented and verified 107 such incidents affecting 940 civilians, including 418 deaths, underscoring the severe impact of the violence on the civilian population. The mission also documented 30 incidents of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) affecting 39 survivors.
Tomorrow, the briefers and several Council members are likely to call for a return to the ceasefire and urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint. They may also call on all leaders to uphold their commitments to implement the peace agreement and to engage in inclusive, consensus-based decision-making. They may further stress the need to strengthen accountability for IHL violations and human rights abuses.
Speakers are also expected to discuss the deteriorating humanitarian situation in South Sudan, amid sustained violence, continued civilian displacement, and persistent constraints on humanitarian access. According to the Secretary-General’s report, an estimated 7.8 million people, approximately 56 percent of the population, were projected to face crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity between April and July, including approximately 73,000 people facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity. Nasir, Ulang, Nyirol, and Akobo counties were identified as being at risk of famine.
The Secretary-General’s report also noted that more than 420,200 people have been newly displaced by conflict since January, including approximately 324,100 people in Jonglei state. The situation remains particularly volatile in Akobo county, where protection concerns remain acute amid reports of child abductions, CRSV, gender-based violence, and recruitment into armed groups.
Public health challenges have further compounded the humanitarian crisis, with the ongoing cholera outbreak now primarily affecting Unity, Jonglei, and Upper Nile states. As at 8 July, more than 109,100 cases and 1,717 deaths had been reported across 55 counties in nine states and three administrative areas.
Meanwhile, impediments to humanitarian access have persisted, including attacks on humanitarian workers, bureaucratic impediments, movement restrictions, interference in humanitarian operations, and looting of humanitarian assets. The Secretary-General’s report noted that at least 26 humanitarian personnel and contractors were killed between April and July, while aid workers also faced abductions, looting, and denials of access. Tomorrow, the briefers and several Council members are likely to condemn attacks against humanitarian workers and facilities and underscore the parties’ obligations under international law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure as well as medical and humanitarian personnel.
Against this backdrop, UNMISS is operating in an increasingly volatile environment, characterised by resource constraints and a challenging operational context, with implications for its ability to effectively implement its mandate. During the reporting period, the mission recorded 86 incidents involving violations of the status of forces agreement (SOFA), 84 of which related to movement restrictions imposed by government authorities. The mission also reported multiple incidents affecting UN personnel, assets, and premises, including cases of harassment, intimidation, and the temporary detention of staff by security actors.
Furthermore, the Secretary-General’s report noted that reductions in UNMISS’ budget and operational footprint have significantly affected the security environment and conditions for humanitarian operations. The resulting reduction in the mission’s field-level activities has affected its functions, including the protection of civilians, early warning and mediation efforts, coordination with local authorities, and facilitation of humanitarian access, particularly in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
Regional and international stakeholders have intensified their efforts to address the evolving political and security crisis. For instance, on 21 May, the African Union (AU) High Representative for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, Jakaya Kikwete, held talks with opposition and holdout groups in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Participants included representatives of the SPLM/A-IO and the United People’s Alliance (UPA) led by Pagan Amum. Between 17 and 23 June, Kikwete undertook his second visit to Juba, where he met with South Sudanese stakeholders, including Kiir; ambassadors from Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia; and other international partners engaged in the peace process.
During the reporting period, Gbeho engaged with Kiir and other senior government officials, opposition figures, key member states, and regional partners—including Kikwete—to discuss the current political impasse, the humanitarian situation, and protection of civilians. Council members may be interested in hearing Gbeho’s assessment of these engagements and the prospects for renewed political dialogue among the parties, including the role that regional and international actors could play in facilitating such efforts.
