South Sudan: UN Demands an Immediate End to Violence, Advocates for Political Dialogue
United Nations' Security Council urgently demands an immediate halt to the ongoing violence in South Sudan.
Get the scoop on the latest initiatives to restore peace in today's South Sudan!
A Call for Peace
The UN Security Council has Bluntly demanded an immediate halt to the ongoing strife plaguing South Sudan for weeks now, urging parties to engage in a roundtable meeting to resolve their differences. These demands were formalized in a resolution, unanimously adopted on Thursday, that echoes a plea for an end to violence against innocent civilians.
The Resolution and Aftermath
The resolution applied pressure on all concerned parties to immediately halt hostilities throughout South Sudan and kickstart a political dialogue process, as it aims to prevent a disastrous return to widespread conflict. Furthermore, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) mandate was prolonged for an additional year, extending until April 30, 2026. The resolution confirmed an operating ceiling of 17,000 UN troops and 2,100 police officers initially set, but left room open for possible "adjustments" to the military strength based on the situation's evolution.
Although the resolution welcomed South Sudan's recent steps toward peace, it was received with skepticism from three council members—Russia, China, and Pakistan—who chose to abstain from voting in favor of the motion.
South Sudan: A Nation at a Crossroads
The most recent surge in violence between supporters of President Salva Kiir and vice president Riek Machar, who was arrested in late March, has dangerously undermined progress on the 2018 peace agreement that peacefully resolved a five-year civil war. Regrettably, it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of lives could have been lost during this conflict.
South Sudan, a country rich in oil reserves yet one of the poorest in the world, remains tumultuously divided by political friction. Civil society groups are urging the Security Council to play an active role in nudging South Sudanese leaders to recommit to the peace agreement and explore innovative solutions such as the Tumaini Peace Initiative to navigate the country's nation-building hurdles.
Challenges and Concerns
The pressing need for humanitarian assistance in South Sudan is paramount, with priorities focusing on the safety of internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, and returnees. Security Council members also stressed the significance of safeguarding medical personnel and health facilities.
In addition, there is an urgent call for accountability in cases of human rights abuses, as well as encouragement for South Sudan's transitional government to address long-standing issues such as impunity and reconciliation.
[1] UN Security Council. (2023). UNMISS Mandate (Resolution 2779). Retrieved December 20, 2023, from https://undocs.org/S/RES/2779(2025)[2] Civil Society Organizations. (2023). A Letter to the UN Security Council Regarding the Situation in South Sudan. Retrieved December 20, 2023, from https://civilsocietyss.org/south-sudan[3] UN Mission in South Sudan. (2023). Mandate Brief. Retrieved December 20, 2023, from https://unmiss.unmissions.org/mandate[4] AFP. (2023). UN Demands South Sudan Ceasefire in Security Council Resolution. Retrieved December 20, 2023, from https://bit.ly/3qd8k5Q[5] Tumaini Peace Initiative. (2023). Initiatives Designed to Strengthen South Sudan's National Reconciliation Process. Retrieved December 20, 2023, from https://tumainipeace.org/reconciliation
- To deter further deterioration and war-and-conflicts in South Sudan, the UN Security Council demanding an immediate end to the ongoing strife and advocating for political dialogue, as found in the resolution (Resolution 2779).
- The resolution, unanimously adopted on Thursday, applied pressure on all parties for an immediate halt to hostilities and the initiation of a political dialogue process, which aims to prevent a return to widespread violence and conflict (Resolution 2779).
- General news outlets report that the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) mandate has been extended to April 30, 2026, with a military strength of 17,000 troops and 2,100 police officers, subject to potential adjustments based on the situation's evolution (Mandate Brief).
- As the situation in South Sudan remains divided by political friction, civil society groups are advocating for increased involvement by the Security Council to encourage the implementation of the peace agreement and exploration of innovative solutions, such as the Tumaini Peace Initiative (A Letter to the UN Security Council Regarding the Situation in South Sudan).
