![UNMISS troops seen in an area in South Sudan [Photo by UNMISS]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/1548323657_4730852_1548323577_7822933south-sudan-peacekeepers.jpg?resize=1008%2C664&quality=89&ssl=1)
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan stressed that safeguarding civilians must be the absolute priority, demanding immediate, coordinated action to prevent further escalation.
The commission’s statement, released on Thursday afternoon, detailed a rapidly deteriorating situation, highlighting the deliberate targeting of civilians and opposition leaders as a “reckless disregard for international law and the country’s future.”
“The protection of civilians must be the central priority,” said Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández. “Instead, we are witnessing actions that increase civilian vulnerability—indiscriminate attacks, arbitrary detentions, and foreign intervention. All these developments signal a dangerous lurch toward renewed conflict. Many South Sudanese have already suffered the consequences of reckless and criminal political and military decisions that led to full-scale war and ethnic atrocities. It should not be allowed to happen again.”
The commission highlighted intensified violence throughout March, particularly in Upper Nile State, where aerial assaults have displaced over 60,000 people. This violence, following an attack on a UN peacekeeping helicopter on March 7th, is compounded by armed confrontations near Juba and reports of opposition figures detained without due process, directly violating the peace agreement’s provisions on political inclusion and rule of law.
“At the heart of South Sudan’s crisis is a failure to protect civilians and uphold the commitments of the Revitalized Peace Agreement,” said Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission. “The deliberate targeting of opposition leaders and civilians represents a reckless disregard for international law and the country’s future.”
The commission stressed that the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement is “not optional—it is binding,” and its systematic undermining by political and military actors is a “betrayal of the South Sudanese people who have already endured years of devastating conflict.”
The body said deployment of Ugandan troops and battle tanks at President Salva Kiir’s request further complicates the situation, raising concerns about potential violations of the UN arms embargo and the growing partisan role of foreign forces, which directly endangers civilians.
“We must not allow South Sudan to repeat the mistakes of the past. Failure to de-escalate the ongoing political and military tension will be cataclysmic for South Sudan. South Sudan’s leaders must urgently sit down across political divides to de-escalate tensions, reassure an alarmed population, and address their differences,” warned Commissioner Barney Afako. “
“The region and the international community must move swiftly to engage national leaders, and states active in the conflict, to prevent South Sudan from imploding and aggravating the volatility of this fragile region. The way forward is clear: an immediate recommitment to the Revitalized Agreement, the release of political detainees, the cessation of hostilities, and above all—protection of civilians,” he added.
The commission called on regional and international partners, including the African Union, IGAD, and the United Nations, to intensify diplomatic pressure and ensure the full implementation of the peace agreement, with a primary focus on civilian protection.
Machar’s arrest on Wednesday night has significantly heightened the risk to civilians, sending fears of large-scale ethnic violence reminiscent to events in December 2013 and July 2016.
The arrest followed escalating tensions between his SPLM-IO and Kiir’s government, with disagreements over power-sharing and the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement.
