South Sudan

A new Secretary-General report on the situation in South Sudan was submitted to the Security Council on 31 July, providing an updated assessment of political, security and humanitarian developments.

South Sudan is expected to hold an election on 22 December 2026, the first in the country’s history. It’s already been postponed twice, in 2022 and 2024. A great deal is being said and written about whether or not there should be an election. … The existing gaps have left the door open to unhelpful developments. The worst is the reproduction of kleptocratic and authoritarian structures.

South Sudan’s fragile transition is increasingly shaped by forces beyond its borders that drive illicit arms flows into the country.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of South Sudan on Friday activated the country’s first-ever drought anticipatory plan targeting more than 65,000 people in Budi and Kapoeta North counties.  

South Sudan’s government says only 37% of the country’s 2018 peace agreement has been fully implemented, but insists the progress made is sufficient for the country to hold general elections on 22 December 2026.

The United Nations has said that it was “deeply saddened” by the killing of five humanitarian workers after their convoy was ambushed in South Sudan. … since January, 29 humanitarian workers and contractors had been killed.

African Union High Representative for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea Jakaya Kikwete on Monday urged South Sudan’s leaders to remain united and ensure successful elections, while calling for the structured implementation of the country’s 2018 peace agreement. Kikwete spoke after briefing President Salva Kiir on consultations he held with political parties, electoral institutions and other stakeholders during his visit to South Sudan.

The United Kingdom on Thursday urged South Sudan’s leaders to accelerate political reforms, warning that the country cannot remain in an open-ended transition. … The ambassador welcomed the arrival in Juba of former Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete, the African Union envoy tasked with facilitating dialogue among South Sudan’s political leaders, … .

South Sudan’s transition remains unfinished, not only because of weak institutions, repeated political crises, and a lack of political will, but also because the country has yet to agree on a shared common ground. At the heart of the problem is a deeper question: what kind of state, system of governance, and form of citizenship should define South Sudan?

From a police station in Germany to the UN Mission in South Sudan, Stephanie Königs has been talking to UN News about her journey to becoming a peacekeeper – and the importance of trust and empathy in the field.