The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, warned on Tuesday evening that escalating violence, political deadlock, and humanitarian constraints are once again pushing South Sudan’s civilian population to the brink, according to a UN statement.
During a Security Council briefing, Lacroix stated, “In recent weeks, we have witnessed a sharp escalation of violence,” adding that “political deadlock among the main signatories to the Revitalized Peace Agreement continues to drive heightened tensions, manifesting in armed confrontations in many parts of the country.” Jonglei State has seen a particularly “sharp escalation of violence,” with armed clashes displacing more than 280,000 people, according to government sources. Reports of aerial bombardments, inflammatory rhetoric, mass displacement, and severe restrictions on humanitarian access have raised fears of a return to the widespread violence seen in 2013 and 2016.
Lacroix, briefing via videoconference from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), noted that populations are “again on the move,” fleeing areas where fighting has broken out and essential services have collapsed. “We therefore remain concerned by recent unilateral initiatives to amend the Agreement, including proposals to defer key outstanding tasks, such as the constitution-making process, until after the elections,” he added.
The deteriorating security situation further exacerbates what Lacroix described as “one of the most dangerous places in the world for humanitarian workers.” Additionally, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is facing significant capacity reductions due to insufficient funding.
In this context, Lacroix reported that “protection patrols have been reduced by up to 40 per cent where Force deployment is decreasing, and by up to 70 per cent in areas where bases have closed.” The statement further noted that approximately 40 human rights monitoring missions have been cancelled, leading to increased tensions in areas where UN bases have shuttered.
Lacroix concluded by emphasizing that the mission remains vital: “The presence of UNMISS continues to matter a lot. It matters to the people that we protect, it matters to our humanitarian partners that we assist, and it matters to the peace process that we actively support.”
