Südsudan

South Sudan’s military has moved into the Heglig oilfield under an unprecedented agreement between the country and neighbouring Sudan’s warring parties to safeguard critical energy infrastructure from the country’s civil war.

[…] In an unusually pointed statement entitled "Time to Stop Taking Advantage of the United States," the U.S. Bureau of African Affairs accused South Sudan's government of "imposing exorbitant fees on humanitarian shipments" and "obstructing U.N. peacekeeping operations".

The humanitarian situation in South Sudan is “continually degrading,” with a sharp rise in casualties from airstrikes and ground fighting, aid agencies have told the UN. A senior official from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the use of aircraft and barrel bombs had intensified, displacing hundreds of thousands.

In September, the South Sudanese government charged First Vice President and former rebel leader Riek Machar, along with seven of his key allies, with criminal offences including treason, murder and crimes against humanity. President Salva Kiir also suspended Machar, his perennial arch-rival, from his position as vice president. The trial represents one of the greatest threats to the country’s stability since the end of its civil war in 2018.

South Sudan's leader Salva Kiir has in a shock move dismissed one of his vice-presidents, Benjamin Bol Mel, who had been tipped as his possible successor. Kiir stripped Bol Mel of his military rank of general and dismissed him from the national security service. He also sacked the central bank governor and the head of the revenue authority, both considered close allies of Bol Mel.

South Sudan is entering a period of rising instability marked by political polarisation, renewed armed clashes, and severe humanitarian strain, senior UN officials told the Security Council on Tuesday. A “breaking point is becoming visible” in the peace process, they cautioned, as core commitments under a landmark 2018 peace agreement stall or go into reverse.  

South Sudan’s government has formally demanded that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reduce its international military contingents by 70%, ground all aircraft with intelligence-gathering capabilities, and close several military bases and civilian protection sites, according to a diplomatic note obtained by Radio Tamazuj.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan highlighted escalating armed clashes, political detentions, and widespread human rights violations, calling for coordinated efforts to safeguard civilians and uphold justice. “South Sudan’s political transition is falling apart,” Commissioner Barney Afako told the Assembly.

The Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity has made no progress in the unification and deployment of forces since the Nasir incident, which led to the arrest and suspension of First Vice President and leader of the SPLM/A-IO, Riek Machar. South Sudan graduated the first batch of its Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) on August 30, 2022, marking a significant milestone in the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement.

Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Anita Kiki Gbeho, arrived in Torit on Tuesday and announced plans to close the UNMISS office there. The UN Mission attributed the closure of the Torit office to a global funding crisis that has forced it to reduce its operations by 18 percent.