Escalating clashes between opposing factions trigger a massive displacement crisis across South Sudan’s borders amid growing concerns of a broader conflict.
Published On 13 Oct 2025
In 2025 alone, nearly 300,000 South Sudanese have been forced to flee their homes as violent confrontations between political rivals threaten to escalate into a full-blown civil war, according to warnings from the United Nations.
The UN Human Rights Commission in South Sudan released a report on Monday highlighting the urgent need for intervention, emphasizing that the ongoing power struggle between President Salva Kiir and the suspended First Vice President Riek Machar could plunge the nation back into widespread conflict.
The report stresses the necessity for immediate regional diplomatic efforts to halt the country’s descent into chaos.
Since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan has grappled with persistent political turmoil and ethnic strife.
The nation was engulfed in civil war in 2013 after Kiir removed Machar from the vice presidency. Although a ceasefire was brokered in 2017, the fragile coalition government has been deteriorating over recent months, culminating in its suspension last month amid renewed violence between factions loyal to each leader.
In March, Machar was confined to house arrest following deadly clashes between government forces and an ethnic Nuer militia in Nasir, a northeastern town, which resulted in dozens of fatalities and displaced over 80,000 residents.
By September, Machar faced charges including treason, murder, and crimes against humanity, though his defense contends that the court lacks proper authority. In early October, Kiir officially suspended Machar from his post.
Machar and his representatives have dismissed the accusations as politically motivated persecution.
The resurgence of violence has compelled nearly 150,000 South Sudanese to seek refuge in Sudan, a country itself embroiled in a civil war for the past two years, while comparable numbers have fled to neighboring Uganda, Ethiopia, and even as far as Kenya.
Currently, over 2.5 million South Sudanese refugees reside in adjacent countries, with an additional two million displaced within South Sudan’s borders.
The commission attributes the ongoing crisis to entrenched corruption and a lack of accountability among the nation’s leadership.
“The persistent political instability, escalating violence, and rampant corruption are clear indicators of leadership failure,” stated Commissioner Barney Afako.
Commission Chairwoman Yasmin Sooka added, “This turmoil stems from deliberate decisions by those in power to prioritize personal gain over the welfare of their citizens.”
A UN investigation released in September uncovered extensive corruption, revealing that $1.7 billion allocated for an oil-for-infrastructure initiative remains unaccounted for, while approximately 75% of the population faces acute food insecurity.
Commissioner Afako cautioned that without swift and coordinated regional action, South Sudan is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.
“The people of South Sudan are looking to the African Union and neighboring states to intervene and prevent an avoidable disaster,” he concluded.
