South Sudan is teetering on the edge of renewed conflict as a political impasse between President Salva Kiir and former First Vice President Riek Machar escalates into open military confrontation, according to a stark warning by the United Nations.
Nicholas Haysom, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for South Sudan, told the Security Council that tensions have dangerously intensified, with reports of renewed mobilization of the White Army militia and South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) in Upper Nile State. Disturbingly, there are also allegations of child recruitment and the deployment of Ugandan troops at the request of the South Sudanese government.
“This situation is darkly reminiscent of the conflicts of 2013 and 2016, which cost over 400,000 lives,” Haysom said. He emphasized the urgent need to avert a slide into full-scale war and refocus on the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement — the cornerstone of South Sudan’s fragile peace process.
Haysom noted that the deteriorating security situation is being further inflamed by misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech, heightening political and ethnic tensions. He warned that the spillover from the ongoing war in Sudan poses a grave risk to the region, which cannot afford another destabilizing conflict.
The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), which Haysom heads, is working with international partners including the African Union, IGAD, and Pope Francis to restore dialogue and de-escalate tensions. However, Haysom cautioned that UNMISS is not a military force and faces significant operational constraints, including access denials.
The humanitarian situation is also worsening rapidly. Edem Wosornu of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that 9.3 million people—three-quarters of the population need assistance, including 130,000 newly displaced by violence since February. Acute food insecurity now threatens 7.7 million people, with the rainy season likely to intensify the crisis.
Both UN officials stressed that humanitarian aid cannot replace political will. “Another war is a risk South Sudan simply cannot afford,” said Haysom. “The Revitalized Peace Agreement remains the only viable framework to break this cycle of violence.”
