Guya Scopas Bethuel
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has warned that the country is teetering on the brink of another full-scale conflict, urging the UN General Assembly and international partners to take urgent and coordinated action to prevent a total collapse of the fragile peace process.
Addressing the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee in New York on Tuesday, Commissioner Barney Afako said South Sudan’s political transition is “falling apart,” with key provisions of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement being violated and government forces allegedly using aerial bombardments in civilian areas.
“All indicators point to a slide back toward another deadly war,” Afako cautioned. “The international community must recognize that the peace process is being dismantled in plain sight, and they should act before it’s too late.”
The Commission reported that armed clashes across the country have reached levels not seen since 2017, driven by political power struggles, ethnic divisions, and local grievances. It said the fragile ceasefire is eroding as mistrust grows among signatories to the peace deal.
According to the Commission, over 370,000 civilians have been newly displaced since March, while 2.5 million South Sudanese refugees remain in neighbouring countries and two million more are internally displaced.
Commission Chair Yasmin Sooka described the situation as a “man-made and preventable crisis,” blaming political leaders for repeated failures that have left civilians to bear the brunt of renewed violence.
“Civilians are being bombarded, women raped, children displaced and recruited into combat roles,” Sooka said. “This war on the people of South Sudan will end only when political leaders are held to account and justice is no longer optional.”
The Commission’s latest report to the Human Rights Council, released earlier this year, highlights escalating violence in areas such as Nasir, where government and local forces have clashed despite earlier ceasefire commitments. The report also accuses national authorities of arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings, and complicity in grave human rights violations, including sexual violence and forced recruitment of children.
Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández pointed to deep-seated corruption as a major driver of conflict, saying billions in oil revenues have been siphoned off while basic services collapse.
“Corruption is not a side effect of the conflict — it is one of its engines,” Fernández said. “Hospitals have no medicines, schools have no teachers, and soldiers go unpaid while elites enrich themselves through opaque deals.”
The Commission called on the United Nations, African Union, and regional partners to strengthen diplomatic engagement, expedite the establishment of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan, and ensure accountability for both political and economic crimes.
“Peace will not come through words or handshakes,” Sooka emphasized. “It will come through concrete actions — ending impunity, protecting civilians, and building institutions that serve people, not power.”
Established in 2016 by the UN Human Rights Council, the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has repeatedly warned that the country’s transition risks collapse without justice and accountability.
“South Sudan’s people cannot endure another collapse,” Sooka concluded. “The international community must move beyond expressions of concern to concrete, coordinated action. Otherwise, the suffering will only intensify.”