The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has reported a sharp rise in violence throughout South Sudan during the first quarter (January to March) of 2025.
Tensions intensified when the national army, South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), attempted a routine troop rotation in Nasir in February 2025.
This exercise faced resistance from local civilians, who requested the deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces instead of what they referred to as a mixture of SSPDF, Abushok forces, and Agwelek forces.
The UN Peacekeeping Mission reports that there were 1,607 victims recorded in the first quarter of 2025, including 739 civilians killed, 679 injured, and 40 who experienced conflict-related sexual violence, marking the highest numbers since 2020.
“Violence against civilians in South Sudan is escalating to record levels, according to a new report by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, which documents 1,607 victims in the first quarter of this year, the highest number in any three-month period since 2020,” UNMISS stated in a statement seen by this outlet.
The report highlights an alarming overall increase in violence, showing an 86 percent rise in the number of victims, a 110 percent rise in civilian fatalities, and a 94 percent rise in injuries compared to the October-December 2024 quarter.
“The report reveals that 739 civilians were killed, 679 injured, 149 abducted, and 40 subjected to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) between January and March 2025,” the report continues.
Guang Cong, the UNMISS Deputy Head Special Representative to the Secretary General, calls on the government of South Sudan to prioritise the protection of civilians rather than inflicting harm.
“It is the primary responsibility of the Government to protect civilians and prevent conflicts, which continue to cause immense harm to communities across the country,” said Cong.
On March 4, 2025, hostilities reignited between the SSPDF Forces at the Wech-Yar-Adiw barracks in Nasir and armed civilians known as the White Army. The White Army took control of the barracks, while the SSPDF Commander had locked himself inside a military tank along with several soldiers.
On March 7, a rescue operation led by UNMISS was unsuccessful when a UN helicopter came under fire from armed civilians in Nasir, resulting in the deaths of a UN pilot, SSPDF Army Commander David Majur Dak, and soldiers accompanying him.
The UN Security Council condemned the incident, asserting that the actions in Nasir could be considered war crimes under international law.
Several leaders of the SPLM/A-IO, including First Vice President Riek Machar, Minister of Petroleum Puot Kang Chol, and Deputy Chief of Defense Forces Duop Lam, remain detained.
The government links them to the violence in Nasir and the subsequent unrest across South Sudan, pending investigations in a competent legal court, which has thus far experienced delays.
