UN Warns South Sudan Faces High Risk of Atrocity Crimes

The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan warned on August 20 and 21, 2026, that the country faces a high risk of renewed atrocity crimes, including genocide and war crimes, as it prepares for its first national elections. The Commission reported that multiple risk factors are converging, citing 407 ceasefire violations between August 2025 and January 2026 and active fighting in Upper Nile, Jonglei, and Unity states, alongside civilian deaths in Western and Central Equatoria.

While the Government of South Sudan intends to hold elections in December, the Commission cautioned against rushing to the polls without essential safeguards. These missing requirements include the unification of security forces and the release of imprisoned opposition leader Riek Machar. Government assessments indicate that 46.4% of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan remains unimplemented.

The probe identified exclusionary governance, corruption, and the abandonment of inclusive politics in Juba as intensifying risks. It further noted that critical mitigation mechanisms, such as ceasefire monitoring, have been weakened or suspended. The Commission called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to inclusive political dialogue to prevent a return to the scale of atrocities and displacement seen between 2013 and 2018.