The government of South Sudan has demanded a significant drawdown of UNMISS forces, including base closures and halting aerial operations, according to a diplomatic note obtained by Standard Zone News.
The note, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 28th October 2025, represents the most significant challenge to the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan since its deployment in 2011.
If fully implemented, the directive would drastically reduce the mission’s ability to monitor conflict zones, protect civilians, and support the country’s fragile peace process.
According to the government, the 70% reduction would apply only to international military contingents, excluding African regional forces, specialized engineering units, and veterinary and medical corps.
The directive also orders the immediate grounding of “all UNMISS helicopters and any aircraft with installed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR/spy cameras) capabilities,” pending approval from authorities in Juba.
In addition, the note mandates the closure of Temporary Operating Bases (TOBs), Company Operating Bases (COBs), and POC sites.
These facilities have long provided refuge to hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced by South Sudan’s decades-long conflict, and their closure would significantly alter the UN mission’s ability to safeguard vulnerable populations.
The government stressed that the downsizing should occur in phases, rather than abruptly, to ensure continuity of essential services, including humanitarian operations.
It also requested that any reduction in staff “consider favorable treatment to South Sudanese national staff” and that reductions in international civilian staff be limited to 28%, in line with UN proposals.
Edmund Yakani, a civil society activist leader said the directive could accelerate UNMISS’s departure from South Sudan but also expressed concern over potential gaps in civilian protection.
“Some officials may view this as an opportunity to limit international scrutiny on human rights and governance issues, while ordinary citizens remain apprehensive about losing protection,” Yakani said.
The directive comes as South Sudan continues implementing the 2018 peace agreement that ended a brutal civil war, which killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.
UNMISS, established in 2011, has played a central role in monitoring the peace process, supporting government reforms, and providing protection for civilians during flare-ups of communal violence.
However, they warn that sudden or poorly coordinated reductions could undermine peacekeeping operations, especially in conflict-prone areas outside major towns.
