13/03 • SOUTH SUDAN

South Sudan recently marked four years since the formation of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) on 22 February 2020, representing the longest period of relative peace and stability since the country's independence in 2011.

New Zealander David Shearer, former head of the UN Mission in South Sudan, was pivotal in revitalising peace efforts, promoting dialogue between conflicting parties, and stabilising security conditions. His diplomatic engagement helped reduce violence, supported humanitarian access, and encouraged political leaders towards greater cooperation and adherence to peace commitments.

This was further supported by the church in 2023, during an Ecumenical Peace Pilgrimage to South Sudan was undertaken by prominent Christian leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Pope. This pilgrimage aimed to support and encourage ongoing peace processes in the country.

However, recent sporadic fighting and escalating tensions have prompted the US to evacuate non-emergency staff. Last week, senior opposition officials—including the deputy army chief and ministers for peacebuilding and petroleum—were detained by government security forces, actions condemned as a "grave violation" of the peace agreement by opposition leader Riek Machar’s spokesperson. President Salva Kiir’s government has not publicly responded to these detentions.

The situation has worsened due to severe economic hardship. Fighting in 2024 damaged South Sudan’s vital oil pipeline near Khartoum, Sudan, drastically cutting revenue and plunging Kiir's administration into fiscal crisis. Economic hardship has amplified public frustration over the government's inability to deliver essential services and ease dire humanitarian conditions.

Further instability occurred recently when dozens of soldiers, including a senior general and a UN crew member, were killed after a UN helicopter was caught in clashes between government forces and militias in Nasir. Kiir has pledged to avoid returning to war, yet tensions remain dangerously high. Analysts warn that the relaxing of hostilities between long-time rivals, Kiir and Machar is fragile and under severe strain, complicated by the ongoing civil war in neighbouring Sudan. Kiir has insisted that he will not allow a return to war however, tension in the capital, Juba is sky-high.

In a statement on Friday, the United Nations urged “all actors to refrain from further violence and for the country’s leaders to urgently intervene to resolve tensions through dialogue and ensure that the security situation in Nasir, and more broadly, does not deteriorate”.

While many South Sudanese are frustrated with their leadership, the collapse of this fragile coalition risks catastrophic violence. Urgent diplomatic intervention from regional and international leaders is crucial to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.