London, UK – October 14, 2025

The escalating South Sudan Crisis is dangerously driving renewed armed violence, threatening to shatter the nation’s fragile peace agreement and plunge the country back into full-scale civil war. The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan issued a dire warning this week, stating that the political elite’s failure of leadership, coupled with unchecked, systemic corruption, has fueled fighting on a scale not witnessed since the 2017 cessation of hostilities. Civilians are bearing the catastrophic brunt of this escalating turmoil.

The warning from the UN rights investigators, which followed a recent mission to the African Union (AU), painted a grim picture of a nation on the brink. The current political crisis—highlighted by the suspension and prosecution of First Vice President Riek Machar—signals a severe unravelling of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, leading to mass displacement and a steep rise in human rights violations. The commissioners have unequivocally placed the blame on the deliberate choices of South Sudanese leaders, stating they have repeatedly “put their interests above those of their people.”

Political Stalling and Systemic Corruption Drive Conflict

The UN Commission identified two main engines of the country’s decline: a stalled peace process and rampant, institutionalised corruption. The political leadership has been accused of deliberately stalling progress, creating a “justice and accountability vacuum” that fuels impunity and conflict.

Headline Points

 * Slide Towards War: UN investigators warn that South Sudan risks “sliding back into full-scale conflict” as armed clashes occur on a scale not seen since 2017.

 * Mass Exodus: Approximately 300,000 South Sudanese have fled the country in 2025 alone due to the escalating conflict, adding to the 2.5 \text{ million} refugees in neighbouring countries.

 * Corruption as War Fuel: The crisis is directly linked to “systemic corruption” by political elites who have diverted over 25.2 \text{ billion} in oil revenues since 2011, money that should have funded essential services.

 * Civilian Casualties Soar: Escalating violence has led to nearly 2,000 civilian deaths this year alone (from January to September), marking a 59\% rise in casualties compared to the same period last year.

 * Targeting of Civilians: Armed actors are repeatedly conducting indiscriminate airstrikes and engaging in communal violence, killing, injuring, and displacing civilians, and destroying schools and health centres.

 * Urgent Regional Action: The Commission has urged the African Union and the UN Security Council to take “immediate, sustained and coordinated political engagement” to rescue South Sudan from a preventable disaster.

A recent Commission report on the “Plundering of a Nation” detailed how systemic government corruption—including emblematic schemes like the ‘Oil for Roads’ programme which funneled billions off-budget—is not incidental but is “the engine of South Sudan’s decline.” The diversion of oil and non-oil revenues means essential services like health and sanitation remain chronically underfunded, translating into preventable deaths and widespread malnutrition across one of the world’s poorest nations.

Worsening Human Rights Crisis and Displacement

The collapse of the political consensus has had immediate and devastating consequences for the populace. The UN human rights office reported a 59% rise in civilian casualties between January and September of this year compared to last, with nearly 2,000 civilians killed and over 1,600 injured. Indiscriminate airstrikes have been reported across multiple states, including Upper Nile, Jonglei, and Central Equatoria, leading to civilian deaths and mass displacement.

The renewed armed clashes have triggered a mass exodus, with about 300,000 people fleeing South Sudan so far in 2025. This includes nearly 150,000 new arrivals into Sudan, ironically fleeing violence in a country that hosts an additional half a million refugees from the war in its northern neighbour. The ongoing fighting has also significantly hindered access for humanitarian assistance, compounding the acute hunger and health crises.

Commissioners Yasmin Sooka (Chairperson), Barney Afako, and Carlos Castresana Fernández have stressed that without stability and justice, South Sudan cannot rebuild. They highlighted that a long-promised Hybrid Court for South Sudan, intended to ensure accountability for past crimes, remains unestablished, allowing impunity to perpetuate the cycle of atrocities.

The international call is now for the African Union and the UN Security Council to act decisively. Commissioner Barney Afako warned: “Unless there is immediate, sustained and coordinated political engagement by the region, South Sudan risks sliding back into full-scale conflict with unimaginable human rights consequences.” The investigators urge all parties to the peace agreement to fully implement their commitments and prioritise the rights and protection of the millions of civilians caught in the crossfire.