Renewed violence in South Sudan has forced over 300,000 people to flee the country in 2025 alone, sparking fears of a return to full-scale civil war, according to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan.
The conflict, driven by the breakdown of a fragile power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and former First Vice President Riek Machar, has reignited armed clashes not seen since the 2017 ceasefire. The commission warns that unless urgent regional intervention occurs, the nation risks sliding further into chaos. Most of the displaced have sought refuge in neighboring countries — 148,000 in Sudan, 50,000 each in Ethiopia and Uganda, and thousands more in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) — worsening regional instability. Internally, South Sudan is grappling with two million displaced people and deepening humanitarian crises.
UN officials blame the crisis on entrenched corruption and a failure of political will. “The crisis is the result of deliberate choices made by its leaders to put their interests above those of their people,” said Commission Chair Yasmin Sooka. “More than ever, justice is essential for South Sudan.” The commission also renewed calls for the African Union to expedite the long-delayed Hybrid Court promised in the 2018 peace deal to ensure justice for victims of war crimes and human rights violations. “Credible and independent mechanisms for justice and accountability are needed to deter the repeated cycles of atrocities, break cycles of impunity, and heal the wounds of war,” said Commissioner Carlos Castresana.