South Sudan is once again teetering on the edge of a devastating civil war, warned the head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Nicholas Haysom, on Tuesday. Speaking amid growing international concern, Haysom cautioned that renewed violence threatens to unravel hard-won peace gains achieved since the signing of the Revitalized Peace Agreement in 2018.
“This region cannot afford another conflict,” Haysom said. “A full-scale war would erase years of progress. Urgent and unified diplomatic action is essential to prevent further escalation.”
The warning follows a dramatic surge in violence in Upper Nile State and the town of Nasir, where fierce clashes erupted earlier this month between government forces and the opposition-aligned Nuer White Army militia, affiliated with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), led by First Vice President Riek Machar.
On March 7, armed fighters from the militia seized Nasir, overtaking a government military base after days of combat. During the subsequent evacuation of South Sudanese troops by UN helicopters, 28 soldiers—including a major general—were killed. Tensions have further escalated following an airstrike on March 17 that killed 21 people. Eyewitnesses have accused government forces of conducting the bombing, though no official claim has been made.
In Juba, the conflict has triggered sweeping arrests of SPLM-IO members, including ministers and military commanders, many of whom remain in detention without formal charges. The situation has prompted a joint appeal by several Western embassies, urging President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar to engage in direct dialogue. The envoys condemned the ongoing violence and detentions, offering to mediate talks to de-escalate the crisis.
Despite these developments, the South Sudanese government has yet to respond formally to the UN’s warning. Earlier this month, Deng Deng Akon, Deputy Speaker of the Council of States, dismissed claims of an impending war, insisting that the government remained stable and functional.
South Sudan’s peace process, while fragile, has made notable strides since Kiir and Machar signed the 2018 agreement. Key provisions—including the integration of rebel forces into the national army and constitutional reforms—remain only partially fulfilled. National elections, initially scheduled for 2022, have now been postponed to December 2026.
The resurgence of the White Army—an ethnic Nuer militia formed in 1991—underscores the enduring ethnic divisions that have fueled past conflicts. Between 2013 and 2020, the civil war between Dinka- and Nuer-aligned forces left over 400,000 dead and millions displaced.
As fears mount over a return to full-scale war, international actors are urging swift intervention to preserve peace and prevent South Sudan from sliding back into chaos.
