By Deng Machol
JUBA, South Sudan — The United States has issued a stark warning that South Sudan’s leaders are steering the country back toward war, accusing the transitional government of undermining the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement through unilateral amendments and renewed military offensives.
Addressing the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador Jennifer Locetta said Washington’s top priority in South Sudan remains lasting peace. However, she argued that since gaining independence in 2011, the country’s leaders have repeatedly derailed stability through political backsliding and cycles of armed confrontation.
Locetta pointed to ongoing military operations across Greater Equatoria and Greater Upper Nile as clear signs of a retreat from the fragile gains achieved under the peace deal.
The renewed violence has displaced thousands of civilians, forced humanitarian agencies to suspend operations, and even triggered the evacuation of UN peacekeepers — significantly constraining the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in its civilian protection mandate.
“We strongly condemn South Sudan’s leaders’ actions and urge all parties to immediately cease offensive military operations, withdraw all forces, and ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to affected populations,” Locetta told the Council.
She further criticized the transitional government for repeatedly altering provisions of the 2018 agreement without broad consultation.
“Any revisions to the agreement must be achieved through transparent, inclusive dialogue involving all signatories, rather than through unilateral action,” she said.
While welcoming limited progress on UNMISS contingency planning, as noted in a recent UN assessment, Locetta pressed Juba to lift remaining operational restrictions on the mission. She condemned what she described as unnecessary and costly financial burdens imposed on UNMISS by the government.
“These financial burdens — paid for by this international community — cannot go unaddressed,” she said, insisting that South Sudan must be held financially accountable.
The U.S. ambassador also warned that demands to close key UN bases in Wau and Bentiu, coupled with continued violations of the Status of Forces Agreement, threaten the viability of the mission.
“Our position is unequivocal,” Locetta said. “Any further non-cooperation will weigh heavily on future U.S. assistance, diplomatic engagement, and decisions about the mission’s future.”
Her remarks come amid growing international concern over a political deadlock among the main parties to the peace agreement and escalating clashes across multiple regions.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, stressed that the 2018 agreement remains the only viable framework for stability in South Sudan.
“There is no military solution in South Sudan,” Lacroix told the Security Council. “Political leaders must return to dialogue and seek consensus to overcome the current stalemate.”
Violence has surged particularly in Jonglei State, where clashes between government and opposition forces have displaced more than 280,000 people. Reports of aerial bombardments, inflammatory rhetoric, and restrictions on humanitarian access have deepened fears among communities still scarred by previous conflicts.
Lacroix noted that South Sudan remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for humanitarian workers. In 2025 alone, 350 attacks on aid staff and facilities were recorded — a sharp increase from 255 in 2024.
According to the United Nations, more than 10 million people in South Sudan now require humanitarian assistance, including 7.5 million facing acute food insecurity.
George Aggrey Owino, Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), warned that the country’s deteriorating political and security climate is placing the 2018 peace agreement at serious risk. He cited repeated ceasefire violations and clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the SPLM-IO in Upper Nile, Jonglei, and parts of Greater Equatoria.
Owino urged all parties to immediately halt hostilities, restore dialogue, and recommit to full implementation of the peace accord.
Meanwhile, Dr. Riek Machar — who signed the 2018 peace deal with President Salva Kiir — along with several senior figures from his SPLA-IO movement, now faces charges including murder, terrorism, treason, conspiracy, destruction of public property, and crimes against humanity related to an alleged attack on a South Sudan People’s Defence Forces garrison.
As tensions rise, the future of South Sudan’s fragile transition hangs in the balance, with the United States signaling that continued instability could reshape its diplomatic and financial engagement with Juba.
