South Sudan Faces Renewed Conflict as UN Warns of Imminent Crisis

Recent violence in South Sudan signals a return to conflict, exacerbated by a failing power-sharing arrangement between President Kiir and Vice President Machar. The UN warns of significant regression in the nation, with rising militia violence and a worsening humanitarian crisis, particularly an alarming food insecurity situation. Regional tensions, especially from neighboring Uganda and Sudan, further threaten stability in the region.

South Sudan, recognized as the world’s youngest nation, is facing renewed tensions that threaten to plunge it back into conflict. Following its independence from Sudan in 2011, civil strife erupted shortly after. Currently, a precarious power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar is deteriorating, prompting an evacuation of non-emergency US government personnel and warnings from the UN of potential regression in stability amidst a backdrop of political infighting and militia violence.

The root of the escalating tensions lies in a power struggle between Kiir and Machar, who previously fought a civil war and later formed a unity government under a peace agreement in 2018. Recently, Kiir’s dismissal of Machar loyalists and military actions against Machar’s supporters, including surrounding his residence, have intensified hostilities. The militant group known as the White Army, allegedly connected to Machar, has been clashing with government forces, exacerbating divisions based on ethnic lines between Kiir’s Dinka and Machar’s Nuer groups.

Significant violence has emerged, with a recent airstrike by South Sudan’s military resulting in at least 19 fatalities. Furthermore, earlier clashes resulted in the deaths of military personnel affiliated with Sudan and a UN pilot amidst complexity along the Upper Nile region’s borders. The government’s response has included ordering civilian evacuations and the dismissal of officials linked to Machar’s faction.

The UN has deployed around 20,000 peacekeepers to South Sudan, and the head of the mission, Nicolas Haysom, warned of a looming civil war. The UN Commission on Human Rights indicated an alarming regression that jeopardizes years of progress, emphasizing a worsening humanitarian crisis marked by significant food insecurity affecting half the population and a cholera outbreak reported by Doctors Without Borders.

Regionally, Uganda has bolstered support for Kiir by sending special forces to Juba, an act that has aggravated tensions with opposition factions led by Machar’s SPLM-IO, who have indicated a partial withdrawal from previously agreed security arrangements. The ongoing conflict in neighboring Sudan has a direct bearing on South Sudan’s situation, as economic strains have worsened due to disrupted oil exports, leading to deeper political fractures.

Consequently, there’s an increasing fear that South Sudan could regress into civil war. External conflicts, notably in Sudan, are blurring lines between local and regional disputes, escalating fears of a larger conflagration in the Horn of Africa. The situation necessitates urgent international attention to avert a larger crisis.

In conclusion, South Sudan is on the brink of renewed conflict, primarily driven by internal power struggles between key leaders amid escalating violence. The region faces a deteriorating humanitarian crisis, aggravated by external influences from neighboring states. With the potential for increased hostilities on a regional scale, it is critical for international bodies to intervene to prevent a regression into civil war and restore stability in this fractured nation.

Original Source: www.northcountrypublicradio.org