{"id":42823,"date":"2026-02-12T11:55:50","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T09:55:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/?p=42823"},"modified":"2026-02-12T11:55:50","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T09:55:50","slug":"peace-deal-on-the-brink-as-un-r-jmec-warn-of-war-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/12\/peace-deal-on-the-brink-as-un-r-jmec-warn-of-war-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Peace Deal on the Brink as UN, R-JMEC Warn of War Risk"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Alan Clement<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

South Sudan risks sliding back into full-scale conflict as political divisions deepen and violence escalates, senior UN and regional peace monitors warned the Security Council Tuesday, raising alarm months before scheduled December elections.<\/p>\n

Briefing the Council virtually, the Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), Amb. Maj. Gen. George Aggrey Owinow (rtd), said the political and security situation \u201chas continued to deteriorate, placing the implementation of the R-ARCSS in serious jeopardy.\u201d<\/p>\n

His warning was echoed by the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who told the Council that \u201cmajor developments have taken place in South Sudan that require particular attention, given the country\u2019s continued fragility.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the heart of the crisis, both officials said, is a deepening political deadlock among the principal signatories to the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).<\/p>\n

\u201cAs described in the report, political deadlock among the main signatories to the Revitalized Peace Agreement continues to drive heightened tensions, manifesting in armed confrontations in many parts of the country,\u201d Lacroix said.<\/p>\n

Amb. Owinow detailed what RJMEC described as the erosion of power-sharing arrangements within the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU), citing \u201cremovals and replacements of opposition representatives\u201d from executive and legislative positions at national and state levels.<\/p>\n

He further informed the Council that First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, leader of the SPLM\/A-IO, \u201cremains in detention and on trial together with other SPLM\/A-IO officials,\u201d a development that has deepened mistrust among signatories.<\/p>\n

According to Lacroix the SPLM\/A-IO has indicated it was unable to participate in discussions on proposed changes to the peace agreement \u201cin light of the ongoing legal proceedings involving First Vice President, Riek Machar,\u201d and has reiterated that its participation in political dialogue is contingent upon his release.<\/p>\n

The UN peacekeeping chief also expressed concern over \u201crecent unilateral initiatives to amend the Agreement, including proposals to defer key outstanding tasks, such as the constitution-making process, until after the elections.\u201d<\/p>\n

If pursued, he warned, \u201csuch changes would alter the primacy of the Agreement and its precedence over national legislation,\u201d he emphasized. On the ground, the political impasse has been accompanied by a sharp surge in violence.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn recent weeks, we have witnessed a sharp escalation of violence, particularly in Jonglei, with clashes between Government and opposition forces,\u201d Lacroix told the Council.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth sides claim to be acting in self-defence, while at the same time preparing for the possibility of large-scale hostilities,\u201d added the UN peacekeeping chief.<\/p>\n

RJMEC\u2019s monitoring data paints a similar picture. According to Owinow, the permanent ceasefire \u201chas been severely violated since March 2025,\u201d with clashes between the South Sudan People\u2019s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the SPLA-IO showing \u201cno signs of abating.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Ceasefire and Transitional Security Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) documented 76 alleged ceasefire violations in December 2025 and 87 in January 2026 alone in its latest report.<\/p>\n

In January, 30 incidents involved hostilities between signatory parties, while 26 were incidents of violence against civilians and humanitarian actors.<\/p>\n

Lacroix underscored the human toll of the renewed fighting, particularly in Jonglei State. \u201cThe reports of aerial bombardments, inflammatory rhetoric, mass displacement, and severe restrictions on humanitarian access observed in Jonglei are of great concern,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCommunities that remember all too well the violence of 2013 and 2016 are again on the move with over 280,000 people displaced from fighting in Jonglei alone as per government sources,\u201d added Lacroix.<\/p>\n

He revealed that on 25 January, government forces in Jonglei instructed the temporary relocation of civilians and UN and humanitarian personnel from several counties, including from the UNMISS base in Akobo, citing an anticipated military operation.<\/p>\n

Although the directive was later denied by the government spokesperson, Lacroix said the episode illustrated the volatility of the situation.<\/p>\n

The humanitarian fallout is severe as well. \u201cSouth Sudan remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for humanitarian workers,\u201d Lacroix said, noting that 350 attacks on humanitarian staff and facilities were recorded in 2025, up from 255 the previous year.<\/p>\n

The violence comes amid what he described as the country\u2019s worst cholera outbreak, with over 98,000 reported cases since September 2024 and a resurgence in Jonglei. Flight restrictions and blocked movements, he added, are \u201cpreventing medical evacuations and delaying the delivery of life-saving assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Uror and Nyirol counties, violence forced the closure of 24 nutrition sites, cutting off care for 7,868 children, including 2,633 suffering from severe acute malnutrition, and 2,764 pregnant and breastfeeding women.<\/p>\n

At least eight health facilities have been affected; on 3 February, a hospital in Lankien was struck during an airstrike, destroying medical supplies and injuring staff.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, RJMEC warned that the very mechanisms meant to monitor and deter violations are under strain. Owinow told the Council that CTSAMVM faces \u201cserious financial and operational challenges,\u201d with its investigative capacity \u201ccritically reduced due to continuous cuts in donor support.\u201d<\/p>\n

With elections scheduled for December, both officials stressed that time is running short.<\/p>\n

\u201cA coordinated, strong approach by the international community will help ensure the integrity and supremacy of the Revitalized Agreement and will eventually lead to the long overdue and successful implementation of its security arrangements and the holding of free, fair and inclusive national elections,\u201d Lacroix said.<\/p>\n

But he issued a stark caution: \u201cWithout consensus, without the participation of all those who have placed their hopes into this peace process, any election is likely to be not credible and therefore worthy of our support.\u201d<\/p>\n

Owinow similarly warned that failure by the RTGoNU to address the political stalemate and commence \u201cgenuine and inclusive dialogue on a viable way forward\u201d poses \u201ca great risk to the Peace Agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the grim assessment, both officials reaffirmed that the 2018 agreement remains the only viable path to stability. \u201cTo date, the R-ARCSS has delivered significant peace dividends,\u201d Owinow said, urging the Council to use its influence to support full implementation \u201cin letter and spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lacroix reinforced that message, stressing that \u201cthere is no military solution and that the Revitalized Peace Agreement remains the only viable framework for peace and stability.\u201d<\/p>\n

For millions of South Sudanese already displaced, food insecure or battling disease, the coming months may determine whether the country consolidates a fragile peace or slides once more into the cycles of violence that scarred its first decade of independence.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Alan Clement South Sudan risks sliding back into full-scale conflict as political divisions deepen and violence escalates, senior UN and regional peace monitors warned the Security Council Tuesday, raising alarm months before scheduled December elections. Briefing the Council virtually, the Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":42824,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CONFLICTS.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42823"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42823\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42825,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42823\/revisions\/42825"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}