UN chief warns over escalation of South Sudan situation
March 19, 2025 (JUBA) – The situation in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state could escalate into war if parties do not take practical measures to embrace dialogue and consensus, a UN official said.
“We need to look no further than across the northern border to Sudan for a stark reminder of how quickly countries can descend into catastrophic war. To avoid this outcome in South Sudan, there must be an immediate return by the parties to consensus-based decision-making. There must be intensive dialogue to resolve grievances and rebuild trust and confidence between the Parties and, between the parties and their supporters,” said Nicholas Haysom, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
“The parties must de-escalate the current political tensions now before it is too late. There is only one path out of this cycle of conflict and that is through the Revitalized Agreement. The overriding imperative now is to direct all our efforts to prevent a relapse into war, support the full implementation of the agreement, and progress the transition towards the country’s first democratic elections”, he added.
The top UN official, in a March 18, 2025 statement to the African Union Peace and Security Council Meeting on South Sudan, noted that tension after the March 4, 2025 takeover of the Nasir barracks in Upper Nile by the White Army have been extremely high throughout the country.
The statement pointed out that the taking over of the town and the killing of a South Sudanese army (SSPDF) general had led to a crackdown and arrest of Several senior SPLA/IO military and civilian officials have been arrested in Juba, while some have gone into hiding or fled the country.
Airstrikes on Nasir have inflicted civilian casualties. With the proliferation of mis/disinformation in the public domain, hate speech is now rampant, raising concerns that the conflict could assume an ethnic dimension. The minister of information and the Spokesperson of the government Michael Makuei Lueth on March 17, 2025, confirmed the deployment of foreign forces in South Sudan.
Haysom said the situation, if not well managed, could escalate into the level of the Sudan conflict.
The Head of the UN mission in the young nation also welcomed and commended the Extraordinary] Summit held by IGAD [intergovernmental Authority Development] on March 12 and its communique which called for the de-escalation of tensions in South Sudan. It highlights the need to work with all stakeholders to preserve the integrity of the Revitalized Agreement and ensure South Sudan takes the necessary steps to end the cycle of repeated transitions.
“Over the last week, I have been engaging the various principals of this Agreement, often in partnership with the AU Chairperson’s Special Representative, the IGAD Special Envoy and the Interim Chair of R-JMEC as part of our Quartet mechanism. Together, we have urged the parties to undertake dialogue, build trust and assure their followers of their steadfast commitment to prevent the country’s return to civil war”, explained Haysom.
The statement urged all parties to recommit to the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and the September 2018 peace accord, reinvigorating the functioning of its relevant mechanisms. It also encourages the two principals, President Kiir and First Vice President Machar, to meet and address their differences constructively while addressing the nation together as a show of unity.
Haysom used the opportunity to call for the release of detained military and civilian officials or their treatment in accordance with legal process. He called on the parties to immediately address the Nasir tensions through dialogue rather than further military confrontation as well welcoming the IGAD Extraordinary Summit and encouraged the immediate establishment and dispatch of a ministerial-level sub-committee to Juba.
The top UN representative underscored the critical role of neighbouring states, as the guarantors of this Agreement, in promoting peace and stability in South Sudan as well as the role African union and its committee of five countries to encourage and the Panel of the Wise to facilitate dialogue amongst the South Sudanese leadership to ensure active conflict mitigation.
(ST)