By Kei Emmanuel Duku
The African Union has issued a stern warning over the disintegrating security landscape in South Sudan, citing a dangerous surge in regional hostilities that threatens to dismantle years of fragile diplomatic progress.
In a statement released Tuesday, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf signaled that the escalating instability in Jonglei State has reached a critical threshold, triggering a massive humanitarian migration. The continental body’s intervention comes as local reports indicate that thousands of families are fleeing their homes to escape a new wave of targeted aggression.
The AU’s top diplomat identified a toxic combination of aggressive public discourse and battlefield military clashes between government and armed militant as the primary catalysts for the current crisis.
According to the Commission, these actions directly undermine the foundational principles of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement (R-ARCSS), which was intended to end one of the continent’s most persistent conflicts.
Highlighting the disconnect between official promises and the reality on the ground, Chairperson Youssouf pointed to a pattern of systemic failures in maintaining the permanent ceasefire. While political leaders in Juba maintain a public stance of cooperation, the AU noted that persistent violations are having a “devastating humanitarian impact,” particularly on vulnerable women and children who are being caught in the crossfire of renewed political friction.
The Commission is now demanding an immediate pivot back to “consensus-based decision-making” and a total cessation of hostilities. The commission said this diplomatic push is aimed at safeguarding the transitional period, which remains the only recognized roadmap toward national stability and eventual elections.
To underscore the gravity of the situation, the AU Chairperson emphasized the non-negotiable duty of armed actors to safeguard non-combatants:
“The protection of civilians remains a fundamental responsibility of all parties to the conflict; any calls for, or acts of, violence against them are strictly condemned.”
Amidst reports of leaders prioritizing political leverage over public safety, Youssouf issued a direct challenge to the nation’s stakeholders to shift their priorities:
“South Sudanese stakeholders must place the interests of their people above all other considerations and resolve outstanding differences through dialogue.”
Recognizing that the peace process is at a junction between total collapse and recovery, the Chairperson called for an immediate halt to the current trajectory:
“Parties must exercise maximum restraint, immediately de-escalate tensions, and fully comply with their obligations under the Revitalized Agreement.”