The United Nations are monitoring a new surge of violence in South Sudan, with clashes between government troops and opposition forces reported particularly in the state of Jonglei.
Jean‑Pierre Lacroix, head of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, stated on Tuesday to the Security Council that the stalemate among the key signatories of the Revitalized Peace Agreement continues to raise tensions, manifesting in armed confrontations across many parts of the country.
According to Lacroix, both sides of the conflict claim to be acting in self‑defence while simultaneously preparing for potentially large‑scale fighting. French diplomats have already reported airstrikes, inflammatory rhetoric and mass displacements.
The current situation evokes memories of the violence that gripped the region during 2013 and 2016. Over 280,000 people have already been uprooted from Jonglei, many now living in temporary shelters with insufficient supplies.
While more than 10 million people in the country require humanitarian assistance, access for aid agencies remains severely restricted, Lacroix explained. “I urge this Council to send a clear, unified message: attacks on health facilities, medical staff, humanitarian workers, infrastructure and assets are unacceptable” he said. The United Nations says the international community must ensure that political actors in South Sudan withdraw from this dangerous precipice, return to dialogue, and reach a consensus on future steps, while also securing adequate humanitarian resources.