The United Nations Security Council must urgently intensify pressure on South Sudan’s leadership to rescue the fragile 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement, the country’s top peace monitoring body warned.
Briefing the Council on Monday, the Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), Amb. Maj. Gen. George Aggrey Owinow (rtd), said the implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) is facing its most serious challenge since its signing.
Owinow told diplomats that the political environment has sharply deteriorated, citing the removal and replacement of opposition officials from executive and legislative positions at national and state levels without the consensus required under the agreement.
He also pointed to the continued detention and trial of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and other SPLM/A-IO officials as a major obstacle to inclusive dialogue and trust-building among the parties.
On the security front, RJMEC reported that the permanent ceasefire has been “severely violated” since March 2025, with sustained clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the SPLA-IO in Upper Nile, Jonglei and parts of Greater Equatoria.
According to monitoring reports, fighting has spread to six of the country’s ten states and three administrative areas, triggering new civilian displacement and worsening humanitarian conditions.
Owinow said monitoring bodies documented 76 alleged ceasefire violations in December 2025, rising to 87 incidents in January 2026, including hostilities between signatory forces and attacks on civilians and humanitarian actors.
He warned that the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) is struggling to carry out its mandate due to severe funding shortfalls.
“With elections scheduled for December, the inability to effectively monitor and verify ceasefire violations is deeply concerning,” Owinow cautioned, noting that time is rapidly running out to stabilise the transition.
RJMEC urged the Security Council to prevail on the parties to immediately cease hostilities, restore and respect the permanent ceasefire, and recommit to genuine, inclusive political dialogue.
The Commission also called on the Council to help resolve the political and security impasse surrounding detained leaders, reconstitute the transitional government in line with the peace agreement, and restore opposition portfolios removed in breach of the deal.
He appealed to the Council to use its good offices to safeguard the peace agreement, describing the R-ARCSS as the only viable pathway to sustainable peace and a credible end to South Sudan’s transitional period.
