Regional bodies have voiced deep concern over the deteriorating situation in South Sudan, where renewed fighting and political deadlock are threatening to plunge the country back into full-scale conflict. Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, violence continues to escalate, spreading to more areas and resulting in civilian deaths, destruction, and displacement.
A joint statement issued Thursday by the African Union Mission in South Sudan (AUMISS), IGAD, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) called for an immediate ceasefire and resumption of dialogue. The group condemned the recent attacks, including drone strikes on a Medecins Sans Frontieres hospital and Old Fangak, which left several dead and injured.
The quartet also urged the ceasefire monitoring body (CTSAMVM) to investigate the incidents and ensure accountability. They emphasized that targeting humanitarian infrastructure and rising ethnic rhetoric were unacceptable.
Efforts by the AU and IGAD to broker peace have so far yielded little. A high-level mission to Juba failed to meet First Vice President Riek Machar, who remains under house arrest. Kenya’s Special Envoy Raila Odinga was also denied access to Machar in March. The group called for Machar’s release and renewed commitment to inclusive political dialogue.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has extended UNMISS’s mandate until April 2026, authorizing the mission to take necessary measures to protect civilians and support peace efforts. UN officials warned that the peace deal signed in 2018 is unraveling, with mounting tensions and hate speech reminiscent of previous deadly conflicts.
Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi also disclosed that South Sudan recently declined a planned visit by IGAD foreign ministers aimed at resolving the crisis.
