Western diplomats call for immediate ceasefire, political dialogue in South Sudan

JUBA — Western diplomats in South Sudan on Tuesday sounded the alarm over escalating hostilities in Jonglei and Equatoria regions, warning that the renewed violence threatens to shatter the country’s fragile peace process.

The embassies of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States called on South Sudanese leaders to act urgently to halt the fighting and uphold their commitments to the 2018 peace deal.

“The Embassies of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America express grave concern about the recent violence in Jonglei and Eastern Equatoria, as well as other parts of the country,” the diplomats said in a joint statement.

The mission chiefs also voiced alarm over reports that armed actors are blocking humanitarian relief, worsening already dire conditions for civilians.

“We call on all parties to agree to an immediate cessation of hostilities and to resolve issues through peaceful dialogue. We renew our call for all parties to guarantee safe and unhindered humanitarian access.”

The diplomatic intervention comes as tensions, which began spiking in early 2025, expose deep fractures within the transitional government.

Clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) were first reported in January 2025 in Western Equatoria State before spreading north.

By February, the conflict had engulfed Upper Nile State, pitting government forces against armed youth known as the “White Army,” a militia the government says is linked to the SPLA-IO.

The army responded with aerial bombardments on Nasir, claiming it was countering a coordinated offensive.

The crisis reached a tipping point in early March when White Army fighters overran an SSPDF base in Nasir near the Ethiopian border. The government reported that more than 250 soldiers were killed in the rout, including the area commander, Maj. Gen. David Majur Dak.

The government responded with a sweeping crackdown on senior opposition figures. On March 4, security forces arrested Gabriel Duop Lam, the SPLA-IO chief of staff and deputy chief of defense forces of the SSPDF, followed by the detention of Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chuol.

Weeks later, on March 26, authorities arrested First Vice President Riek Machar. Security officials accused him of orchestrating the Nasir assault—allegations his party denies. Machar has since been placed on trial, a process rights groups have dismissed as lacking independence.

Since the arrests, the security landscape has deteriorated further. Violence has spilled into Jonglei and Unity states, drawing in government troops, SPLA-IO units, and loose coalitions of defecting fighters.