UN Warns of South Sudan’s Descent Into Renewed Conflict Amid Leadership Failures

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has issued a stark warning that the country is sliding dangerously toward a new phase of large-scale armed conflict. In a statement following its mission to the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, the Commission said that political paralysis, systemic corruption, and renewed violence have brought the young nation to “yet another precipice,” despite over a decade of peacebuilding efforts by regional and international actors.

A Nation on the Brink

South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, continues to face an escalating political and security crisis that is reversing years of fragile progress since the signing of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). Recent months have witnessed armed clashes on a scale not seen since 2017, forcing mass displacements and leaving civilians trapped between rival armed groups.

The UN Commission described the current situation as a “failure of leadership and consensus” that has crippled governance and allowed corruption, impunity, and violence to fester unchecked. The report warns that unless there is “immediate, sustained, and coordinated regional engagement”, South Sudan risks plunging into full-scale war with catastrophic humanitarian and human rights consequences.

Corruption and Impunity at the Core

According to the Commission’s latest report, Plundering a Nation: How rampant corruption unleashed a human rights crisis in South Sudan, grand corruption and systematic diversion of public resources continue to fuel political divisions and armed conflict. The Commission notes that government elites have enriched themselves through the exploitation of oil revenues, while millions of citizens endure extreme poverty and insecurity.

“The ongoing political crisis, increasing fighting, and unchecked, systemic corruption are all symptoms of the failure of leadership and consensus in implementing the peace agreement,” said Commissioner Barney Afako, who led the delegation to Addis Ababa. “Unless decisive action is taken, South Sudan risks sliding back into a devastating war.”

The Justice Vacuum and the Hybrid Court

Central to the Commission’s concerns is the absence of justice and accountability mechanisms. More than a decade after the outbreak of civil war in 2013, victims of human rights violations and war crimes are still waiting for justice. The 2018 peace agreement mandated the creation of transitional justice institutions, including a Hybrid Court for South Sudan, a Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing, and a Compensation and Reparation Authority — yet progress remains stagnant.

The Commission noted that despite repeated calls from the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) in March and June 2025, the Government of South Sudan has failed to cooperate with the AU to operationalize the Hybrid Court.

Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission, urged immediate action:

“More than ever, justice is essential for South Sudan. The promises made to victims years ago remain unmet. The Hybrid Court must move from paper to action. The AU has both the mandate and moral responsibility to ensure justice for South Sudanese victims.”

Sooka stressed that establishing a functioning Hybrid Court could have transformative effects, strengthening domestic institutions and embedding the rule of law — critical steps toward breaking the cycles of violence and impunity that have plagued South Sudan since independence in 2011.

Humanitarian Fallout: A Nation Displaced

The worsening conflict has triggered mass displacement across South Sudan and neighboring countries. In 2025 alone, an estimated 300,000 South Sudanese fled the country, including:

• 148,000 to Sudan,

• 50,000 to Ethiopia,

• 50,000 to Uganda,

• 30,000 to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and

• 25,000 to Kenya.

The total number of South Sudanese refugees in the region now exceeds 2.5 million, while another 2 million people remain internally displaced. Compounding the crisis, South Sudan is also hosting over 560,000 refugees escaping the ongoing war in Sudan.

Women and children remain the most affected. The Commission reported widespread sexual and gender-based violence, forced recruitment of children, and the collapse of essential services in conflict-affected areas.

“The mounting armed clashes and fracturing of a peace agreement signed seven years ago show that South Sudan cannot rebuild without stability and justice,” said Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández. “Only credible, independent mechanisms for accountability can deter new atrocities and heal the wounds of war.”

Regional and International Engagement

During meetings with AU officials, members of the AU Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan (C5 Group), and representatives of IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development), the Commission emphasized the need for intensified regional diplomacy. It urged the AU Office of the Legal Counsel to accelerate the drafting of guidelines for the Hybrid Court and to coordinate closely with the UN and guarantors of the peace agreement.

The Commission’s visit coincides with the annual joint consultative session between the African Union Peace and Security Council and the United Nations Security Council, scheduled to convene later this week in Addis Ababa. The Commission called on both Councils to place justice and accountability at the heart of their deliberations, insisting that impunity remains the single greatest obstacle to peace.

A Call for a United Response

The Commission’s message to the international community was unequivocal: South Sudan’s crisis is man-made, rooted in deliberate political choices by leaders prioritizing personal power and wealth over national stability.

Commissioner Sooka concluded:

“The crisis unfolding in South Sudan is the result of deliberate choices made by its leaders to put their interests above those of their people. The region and the world must now prevail upon South Sudan’s leaders to make a different choice — one that puts their people first.”

A Path Forward

The UN Commission’s latest appeal underscores a growing international consensus: peace in South Sudan cannot be achieved without justice, transparency, and accountable governance. As renewed violence threatens to unravel the fragile 2018 peace deal, the AU, IGAD, and UN are being called upon to mobilize coordinated political and diplomatic action to avert another humanitarian catastrophe.

The coming weeks may prove decisive. Whether South Sudan can pull back from the brink will depend on the political will of its leaders — and the determination of regional and global partners to ensure that the promise of peace and justice is finally delivered to the people of South Sudan.