The U.S. has ordered non-emergency staff to evacuate from South Sudan due to increased tensions threatening the peace agreement between President Kiir and Vice-President Machar. Ongoing violence and arrests of key officials have sparked concerns over the stability and future of the nation. Despite previous efforts to foster peace, significant challenges remain in implementing the terms of the 2018 power-sharing deal.
The United States has mandated the evacuation of all non-emergency personnel from South Sudan due to escalating tensions within the nation. Recent skirmishes are jeopardizing a fragile peace agreement established between President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar. This peace deal, signed in 2018 to conclude a five-year civil conflict that resulted in extensive casualties, has not stabilized their contentious relationship.
The U.S. State Department noted ongoing armed conflicts among various political and ethnic factions, highlighting the accessibility of weapons to civilians in South Sudan. Consequently, on March 8, 2025, it ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees. The UN’s human rights commission cautioned of a concerning regression in peace efforts that risks overturning years of progress.
President Kiir has urged for peace and assured that the nation would not return to warfare. The situation worsened recently when a UN helicopter evacuating national army members was attacked, resulting in fatalities, including one crew member. Additionally, the arrest of key officials allied with Machar has been characterized by an opposition representative as a severe breach of the existing peace agreement.
These arrests coincided with conflicts in Upper Nile state between government troops and the White Army militia, which previously supported Machar during the civil war. South Sudan, which became an independent nation in 2011 following its secession from Sudan, has since been marred by internal strife, including a brutal conflict that erupted merely two years post-independence, claiming over 400,000 lives.
Although the power-sharing accord of 2018 ceased direct hostilities, critical aspects, such as implementing a new constitution, conducting elections, and merging armed factions into a unified military, remain unfulfilled. Sadly, sporadic violence continues to afflict various regions within South Sudan.
The situation in South Sudan remains precarious, prompting the U.S. government to withdraw non-emergency personnel amid rising tensions and ongoing violence. While President Kiir seeks to assure stability, issues stemming from the 2018 peace agreement and local conflicts suggest that achieving lasting peace remains a formidable challenge for the nation.
Original Source: www.bbc.com
