Country: South Sudan Source: Security Council Report On Monday morning (18 August), the Security Council will hold an open briefing on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee will brief on the Secretary-General’s latest 90-day report, which is dated 7 August and covers developments from 1 April to 15 July. Additional anticipated briefers are Major General (Retired) George Aggrey Owinow, Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC)—a body established to oversee implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS)—and a civil society representative. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the open briefing.Prior to the meeting, Council members that are supporters of the joint pledges related to climate, peace and security—Denmark, France, Greece, Guyana, Panama, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and the UK—are expected to hold a stake-in focused on the security implications of climate change in South Sudan. In their statement, these members may reaffirm their commitment to addressing the interlinked challenges of climate change and conflict in the country and highlight the disproportionate impact of such challenges on women and girls. They may note the compounding crises facing South Sudan—political instability and intensifying climate shocks—that continue to devastate livelihoods and destabilise communities. (Through the joint pledges, endorsing members have committed to systematically integrate climate change, peace and security into the Council’s work.)A key source of instability in South Sudan concerns the implementation of the R-ARCSS, which has deteriorated to a critical point, undermining prospects for sustaining the peace process. Several opposition figures remain under house arrest, including First Vice President Riek Machar, while President Salva Kiir Mayardit has continued to make unilateral appointments within the unity government, including reshuffling positions in his own faction, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). Meanwhile, the opposition remains fragmented by internal rifts. Following Machar’s arrest, a group of members from his party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), formed an interim leadership and appointed Minister for Peacebuilding Stephen Par Kuol as interim chair—a move rejected by several senior SPLM-IO officials. (For background, see the brief on South Sudan in our August 2025 Monthly Forecast.)According to the Secretary-General’s report, on 4 June, Kiir reconstituted the High-Level Ad Hoc Committee, removing former SPLM-IO members and appointing representatives from the Kuol-led splinter faction. Kiir tasked the Committee with overseeing the implementation of the R-ARCSS, except provisions relating to a permanent ceasefire and transitional security arrangements. At its inaugural meeting on 17 June, the Committee agreed to operationalise the provision setting out procedures for amending the revitalised agreement.The security situation has remained tense since clashes erupted in March. The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) has continued operations, including ground offensive and aerial bombardments against opposition-held areas and other armed groups, including in the Greater Upper Nile and Greater Equatoria regions. The ceasefire agreed to in the revitalised agreement has effectively collapsed, with force unification stalled amid ongoing SSPDF offensives, as well as defections to and recruitment by the SSPDF. Intercommunal violence has further aggravated insecurity, resulting in hundreds of civilian casualties in the Greater Bahr el Ghazal region, according to the Secretary-General’s report.Amid a deteriorating security environment, the report notes that UNMISS recorded a marked rise in access denials. Between 1 April and 30 June, the mission recorded 521 status of forces agreement (SOFA) violations, 514 of which were government-imposed movement restrictions affecting UNMISS patrols across ten states. The report also highlights continued non-issuance of tax exemptions for mission-essential imports. Additionally, 356 incidents affecting UN personnel and operations were recorded during the reporting period, with crime and harassment accounting for half. On Monday, some Council members may condemn these incidents, reaffirm support for UNMISS, urge the authorities to cooperate fully with the mission, and underline the need to provide adequate resources to enable effective mandate implementation. Some members might seek more information about the impact that the access denials have had on the mission’s operations.The deployment of armed Ugandan soldiers and military equipment to South Sudan in March has drawn considerable attention in recent months. The South Sudanese government has described this deployment as a bilateral arrangement with Uganda. The SPLM-IO has denounced it as a violation of the Security Council-imposed arms embargo on South Sudan, a position echoed by some human rights groups. Multiple media reports have highlighted the role of Ugandan forces in supporting the SSPDF in attacking opposition-held areas. In recent Council meetings on the situation in South Sudan, some members have voiced concerns about external military engagement in the country, stressing that such involvement could heighten tensions and exacerbate an already fragile security situation. (For background, see the brief on South Sudan in our May 2025 Monthly Forecast and our 18 March What’s in Blue story.)Meanwhile, clashes were reported in late July between the SSPDF and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) along a contested stretch of the South Sudan–Uganda border in southern Kajo-Keji County. The sides offered diverging accounts of the incident: Ugandan authorities reportedly claimed that the SSPDF entered Uganda’s West Nile region and refused to withdraw, precipitating the firefight, while South Sudanese officials alleged a surprise attack by the UPDF, involving tanks and artillery, which resulted in several SSPDF fatalities. In the aftermath, both sides appeared to seek de-escalation. On 9 August, Uganda’s army chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba visited Juba, where he held talks with high-level South Sudanese officials, after which both sides reportedly agreed to establish a joint investigation committee to look into the violence.At Monday’s meeting, the briefers and Council members are likely to call for a cessation of hostilities by all sides in South Sudan and urge the parties to exercise maximum restraint. They may call on all leaders to reaffirm their commitment to implementing the peace agreement, particularly the transitional security arrangements, and to engage in inclusive and consensus-based decision-making. Some members may call for the release of political detainees, including Machar, and for direct, constructive dialogue to prevent further escalation. Some may also stress the importance of adhering to sanctions measures in South Sudan, with a particular focus on effectively enforcing the arms embargo.Regional and international stakeholders have intensified efforts to address the evolving political and security crisis. A delegation of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (AUPSC), comprising the representatives of 15 members of the AUPSC, visited Juba from 10 to 12 August. During the visit, the members held consultations with a wide array of actors, including senior government officials, representatives of regional and international stakeholders, and civil society groups. In a press release issued at the end of the visit, the AUPSC stressed the need to ensure the full implementation of the revitalised agreement and called for a permanent ceasefire as well as the establishment of “an inclusive political high-level dialogue among the political leaders for an amicable resolution of the current political situation in the country”. (For background on recent international engagement on South Sudan, see our 15 April What’s in Blue story.)At Monday’s meeting, several Council members are expected to raise the country’s dire humanitarian situation, including rising food insecurity. These challenges have been compounded by flooding and a collapsing healthcare system amid a severe cholera outbreak. The country also continues to grapple with the adverse humanitarian, security, and economic effects of the ongoing fighting in Sudan and the resulting influx of refugees and South Sudanese returnees.Impediments to humanitarian access, including attacks on humanitarian workers and looting of humanitarian assets, are another matter of concern for Council members. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), conflict-related access constraints continue to affect operations in Upper Nile, Jonglei, Unity, Western Equatoria, and Central Equatoria states. In July, OCHA recorded 60 access incidents, including attacks on humanitarian personnel, criminal acts, and seizure of humanitarian assets. The office highlighted widespread bureaucratic impediments in some states and noted that humanitarian delivery is increasingly being blocked, particularly in contested or opposition-held areas, while local authorities impose ad-hoc restrictions, fees, and suspensions.On Monday, the briefers and several members are likely to stress the parties’ international legal obligation to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including healthcare facilities and medical and humanitarian personnel, and condemn the deliberate targeting of these individuals and facilities. They may also condemn the frequent human rights violations affecting civilians, including extrajudicial killings. Additionally, some members are expected to raise concerns about reported incidents of conflict-related sexual violence and underscore the importance of accountability and justice.