South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Staff Writer
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has warned that, amidst escalating armed conflict and a deepening political crisis, decisive and coordinated international action is urgently required to halt mounting human rights violations and avert the total collapse of the country’s fragile political transition.
Commissioner Barney Afako told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that the country is once again on the brink of catastrophe, as the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement — once viewed as a roadmap to stability — now risks total collapse amid political detentions and renewed fighting.
“South Sudan’s political transition is falling apart,” Commissioner Afako told the UNGA’s Third Committee, which examines social, humanitarian, and cultural affairs. “The ceasefire is not holding, political detentions have become a tool of repression, the peace agreement’s key provisions are being systematically violated, and the government forces are using aerial bombardments in civilian areas. All indicators point to a slide back toward another deadly war. 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 noted that armed clashes are now occurring on a scale not seen since 2017, when a ceasefire was signed. Conflict dynamics have grown increasingly complex, with political power struggles intersecting with ethnic divisions and local grievances. Government reshuffles and partisan appointments have further deepened mistrust between signatories to the peace agreement, while localized fighting often along tribal lines is being exploited by national actors for political and military advantage. These developments are eroding the ceasefire, fracturing governance structures, and heightening the risk of widespread armed confrontation.
Since March, fighting among peace agreement signatories has intensified sharply. Over 370,000 civilians have been newly displaced by conflict, with many fleeing to neighboring countries that already host 2.5 million South Sudanese refugees. Inside the country, an additional two million people remain displaced, alongside nearly 600,000 refugees mostly from Sudan.
The Commission called on UN and African Union Member States to ensure concerted action to resolve what it described as a crisis rooted in governance failures and impunity.
“Peace will not come through words or handshakes,” Sooka said. “It will come through concrete actions ending impunity, protecting civilians, and building institutions that serve people, not power.”
The Commission presented its latest report to the Human Rights Council, published in February, and updated the Assembly on recent developments that have aggravated political tensions and escalated armed conflict.
“South Sudan’s conflict is fuelled by corruption pure and simple,” said Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández. “Billions in oil revenues have been siphoned off while the population starves. Hospitals have no medicines, schools have no teachers, and soldiers go unpaid while elites enrich themselves through opaque contracts and off-budget deals. Corruption is not a side effect of the conflict it is one of its engines. South Sudan’s leaders must realize that their corruption is killing South Sudanese. Accountability for economic crimes is essential not only for justice, but to stop the violence that corruption keeps alive.”
The Commission’s paper published on 16 September, titled “Plundering a Nation: How Rampant Corruption Unleashed a Human Rights Crisis in South Sudan,” details the direct links between entrenched corruption and the capture of public resources by political elites. It shows how billions in oil revenue have been diverted through corruption, fueling both conflict and deprivation.
The Commission urged the United Nations, African Union, and regional partners to redouble efforts to prevent further deterioration, including by ensuring accountability for violations and expediting the establishment of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan. It also appealed for sustained diplomatic engagement to bring all actors — including those currently outside the peace framework — into an inclusive and credible political transition.
“South Sudan’s people cannot endure another collapse,” Sooka said. “Justice and accountability must not remain deferred promises. The international community must move beyond expressions of concern to concrete, coordinated action. Otherwise, the suffering will only intensify.”
