U.S. Urges South Sudan Leaders to End Violence, Cooperate with UNMISS
The United States has called on South Sudan’s leaders to end ongoing violence, engage in genuine political dialogue, and fully cooperate with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), warning that the country’s worsening security situation continues to threaten peace and stability.
Speaking during a United Nations Security Council briefing on Sudan and South Sudan on Thursday, U.S. Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs Ambassador Jennifer Locetta said the country has fallen short of the hopes that accompanied its independence 15 years ago.
She noted that violence against civilians has escalated significantly in 2026, with killings, sexual violence, abductions and mass displacement continuing across several parts of the country.
According to UNMISS data cited by the ambassador, between April and July 2026, at least 418 people were killed, 400 injured, 122 abducted, and more than 420,000 displaced by conflict.
Locetta also expressed concern over renewed fighting in Akobo shortly before South Sudan’s Independence Day, involving the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO).
She criticized restrictions imposed on UNMISS operations, saying the peacekeeping mission documented 86 violations of the Status of Forces Agreement during the same period, including 84 cases involving government restrictions on UN patrol movements.
Despite those challenges, she said UNMISS continued to protect civilians, escort humanitarian convoys, help de-escalate violence in Akobo and Leer, and document human rights violations.
The U.S. diplomat urged South Sudan’s leaders to demonstrate political will by ending violence, engaging in direct dialogue among all parties to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, and removing obstacles to UNMISS operations.
Locetta also questioned the government’s commitment to the country’s planned elections, arguing that political leaders have repeatedly delayed meaningful progress while humanitarian, economic and security conditions continue to deteriorate.
She further stated that meaningful political dialogue remains difficult while the leader of the second-largest party to the 2018 peace agreement remains under house arrest and on trial.
The United States said that if elections move forward, they should be conducted in a peaceful environment and financed using South Sudan’s own public resources.
Concluding her remarks, Locetta urged South Sudan’s leaders to choose dialogue over conflict and accountability over impunity, while calling on the UN Security Council to press the country’s leadership to honour its commitments under the peace agreement.
