Diplomats urge inclusive talks as South Sudan crisis deepens

JUBA — Western and regional embassies in South Sudan called for urgent political dialogue on Wednesday, warning that escalating violence and the arrest of high-level officials threaten to unravel the country’s fragile peace process.

In a joint statement, the embassies of the United States, Britain, Norway, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and the European Union, alongside missions from Sudan and Uganda, said they were “deeply concerned” by the deteriorating security situation.

The diplomats, who met in Juba on Jan. 13, urged South Sudanese leaders, including President Salva Kiir, to halt hostilities and recommit to dialogue as the only path to stability.

“Embassies of regional states and major donor countries met on January 13, 2026 and shared grave concerns about the state of peace in South Sudan. The Ambassadors agreed on the need for urgent action by South Sudanese leaders to advance peace through inclusive dialogue, including President Kiir and First Vice President Machar,” the statement said.

Civil society groups, women’s organizations and church leaders have issued similar appeals, warning that continued militarization risks pushing the world’s youngest nation back into full-scale conflict.

Tensions began escalating in early 2025, exposing deep fractures within the transitional government formed under a 2018 peace deal. Clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the opposition SPLM-IO were first reported in January 2025 in Western Equatoria State before spreading north.

In February, fighting erupted in Upper Nile State between government forces and armed youth linked to the “White Army,” a militia aligned with the SPLM-IO. The army carried out bombing on Nasir, saying it was responding to a coordinated offensive.

The crisis reached a turning point in early March, when White Army fighters overran an SSPDF base in Nasir, near the Ethiopian border. Military sources said at least over 250 soldiers were killed, including the area commander, Major General David Majur Dak.

Following the Nasir attack, the government launched a crackdown on senior opposition and unity-government figures.

On March 4, security forces arrested Gabriel Duop Lam, the SPLA-IO chief of staff and deputy chief of defence forces of the SSPDF. This was followed by the arrest of Puot Kang Chuol, the country’s petroleum minister.

On March 26, 2025, First Vice President Riek Machar was arrested after weeks of mounting pressure. Security forces accused him and his allies of backing the Nasir assault, allegations his party has denied.

Machar was later placed on trial, a process rights groups say lacks independence and risks deepening political divisions.

Since his arrest, violence has spread into Jonglei and Unity State, involving government forces, SPLA-IO units and defecting fighters.

In their statement, the embassies warned that political arrests and exclusionary decision-making threaten the country’s stalled transition and prospects for elections. They urged authorities to release detainees and protect civilians, stating there is no military solution to the crisis.

More than a decade after independence, South Sudan remains trapped in cycles of violence, with the current crisis representing one of the most serious challenges to the 2018 peace agreement.