The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and peace monitors have called for urgent efforts to avert the collapse of South Sudan’s revitalized peace agreement, warning that the country’s political and security situation has “continued to deteriorate significantly.”
The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) said the peace deal has been “severely undermined,” citing growing armed clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In-Opposition (SPLA-IO), which it said constitute a clear breach of the Permanent Ceasefire.
RJMEC chairperson George Owinow told the 1326th meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AUPSC) on the status of implementation of the Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS) on Friday evening that warring parties to the conflict should ensure that the political disagreements are resolved through dialogue and disputes are addressed through the mechanisms of the peace deal.
“These developments pose a serious threat of irretrievable breakdown of the Permanent Ceasefire between the SPLA-IO and the SSPDF if urgent steps are not taken to cease the current hostilities and resume dialogue at the highest political level,” Owinow said.
He called on the African Union body to press the parties to cease hostilities, embrace inclusive dialogue and fully adhere to the peace agreement and transitional security arrangements.
Graham Maitland, officer in charge of UNMISS, said renewed fighting, political actions and humanitarian pressures are pushing the country toward instability.
“Since December, a negative trajectory of actions has emerged, ostensibly aimed at amending the peace framework established by the Revitalized Agreement, including delinking the elections from the constitution-making process and the census. Effectively, this risks undermining the supremacy of the 2018 Agreement over the transitional constitution,” Maitland said.
“Efforts to amend national legislation without consensus and representation of all signatories will likely exacerbate political polarization and the contestation over legitimacy, with consequences for security in the country,” Maitland said.
He warned that the humanitarian situation is expected to sharply deteriorate in 2026 amid escalating conflict, reduced funding and rising needs, calling on armed actors to ensure safe humanitarian access.
“I seek the support of this Council to call on the parties to halt ongoing fighting and recommit to the cessation of hostilities agreement; and urge the parties to uphold their commitments under the revitalized agreement, including the power-sharing and transitional security arrangements, and engage in consensus-based decision-making,” Maitland said.
