UN rights body warns of ‘catastrophic’ escalation in South Sudan as rebels advance

JUBA – The United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan warned on Sunday that renewed fighting in Jonglei State poses a “grave risk” to civilians, calling for an immediate halt to airstrikes and military offensives that threaten to unravel the country’s fragile peace deal.

The urgent appeal comes as violence spirals across the country, with forces from the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) seizing control of Pajut, a key town in Duk County along the road to the Jonglei state capital, Bor.

Clashes have also intensified in Unity and Upper Nile states, marking the most significant breach of the ceasefire in several years since the signing of the revitalized peace agreement in September 2018.

Observers attribute the surge in hostilities to the power vacuum and deep-seated grievances following the detention of First Vice President and opposition leader Riek Machar, along with several of his allies, in March 2025.

His ongoing trial has paralyzed the country’s transitional government and inflamed tensions among his supporters, who view the legal proceedings as a pretext to dismantle the powerful opposition.

In a strong statement issued on Sunday, the UN Commission expressed alarm at the “deteriorating political and security situation,” citing reports of indiscriminate aerial bombardments by the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the mobilization of armed militias.

“The protection of civilians is not optional — it is a binding legal obligation of the government,” said Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission. “The renewed airstrikes in civilian areas, combined with restrictions on humanitarian access imposed by parties to the conflict, including the SSPDF and SPLM/A-IO, are again placing lives at immediate risk, while systematically eroding the peace agreement and condemning civilians to fear, displacement and death. These actions are unlawful and must stop now: humanitarian actors must be allowed safe passage to reach those in desperate need.”

Humanitarian partners estimate that more than 100,000 people have been forcibly displaced across Jonglei since late December 2025, with many fleeing without food or shelter. The Commission highlighted repeated airstrikes in Uror, Ayod, and Nyirol counties, which have destroyed markets and medical facilities.

Barney Afako, a Commissioner with the body, warned that the violence in Jonglei is symptomatic of a broader failure of leadership.

“What we are witnessing in Jonglei is not an isolated security incident; it is a dangerous escalation which is manifesting in other parts of the country as well, and which could potentially bring far-reaching political and security consequences,” Afako said. “As usual, South Sudanese civilians are paying the heaviest price for the political miscalculations of their leaders, and the deliberate unravelling of the peace agreement.”

The Commission warned that the deliberate obstruction of aid and attacks on civilians could amount to war crimes.

“Denying access to medical care, forcing the evacuation of health facilities, or carrying out airstrikes in civilian areas raises serious concerns under international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” said Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández.

“If such acts are committed deliberately or recklessly, they may amount to war crimes. Continued obstruction of humanitarian access and attacks harming civilians must cease immediately, and those responsible must be held to account,” he added.

The Commission urged regional and international partners to intensify diplomatic engagement to prevent a return to full-scale war.