The UN Human Rights Commission in South Sudan (UN Commission) reported On Thursday he announced that a rise in violence and atrocities was disrupting conflict resolution in South Sudan as the country is set to hold its first elections since independence. The region is under the authority of President Salva Kiir and the political faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement In-Government (SPLM-IG). experience “Increased political conflict, violence and displacement, reinforcing the perceived marginalization of certain groups.”
In March 2025, fighting broke out in Nasir, Upper Nile between government troops (SSPDF) and the “White Army”, a youth militia affiliated with the SPLM-IG. The government reportedly bombed a populated area, burning civilians in Nasir, Longechuk and Ulang counties. The violence spread to Jonglei state and in March 2026 over 100,000 people fled across the border into Ethiopia.
The Commission has documented conflict-related violations, sexual violence, and the recruitment and use of children in hostilities in various locations, including Western Equatoria in 2021 and 2024; Unity State in 2018, 2022 and 2026; and now Nasir and Jonglei. The violence was attributed to concerns over the use of oil revenues by South Sudan’s political and military elites, leading to malnutrition and exclusion from educational and health resources.
Despite this instability, the government plans to press ahead with elections in December 2026. In July 2026, President Kiir signed a bill repealing the primary election requirements outlined in it Revitalized Agreement to Resolve the Conflict in South Sudan (RARCSS). RARCSS is a peace agreement signed in 2018 to end the 2013-2018 Sudanese civil war between supporters of President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar. It included six chapters and objectives to ensure constitutionally sound and politically stable elections: (1) governance, (2) durable ceasefire and security arrangements, (3) humanitarian assistance, (4) economic and resource management, (5) transitional justice, and (6) a durable constitutional process. Assessments Research conducted in 2022, 2024 and 2026 shows that these goals have not yet been implemented.
In addition to the threat of violence, Members of the UN Commission are concerned about the increasing exclusivity of political participation and the tendency of the upcoming election to reinforce existing divisions. Commissioner Barney Afako noted: “The weapons are returning while the protections for peaceful political competition are disappearing. This is an extremely dangerous development.” According to Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández, the credibility of the election depends not on whether it takes place as planned, but on whether it embodies democracy. To ensure integrity, he says, citizens should be able to “vote without fear,” political opponents must “participate freely,” courts should “resolve disputes independently,” and institutions need the ability to “constrain the exercise of power.”
