The United Nations has warned that South Sudan is approaching a “dangerous point”, with escalating violence threatening to push the country back into full-scale civil war and derail a fragile peace agreement.
Addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said he was deeply alarmed by the worsening situation.
“I am extremely concerned about the human rights situation in South Sudan. This is one of the world’s forgotten crises,” Türk said.
He reported that government and opposition forces, along with allied militias, have carried out attacks on residential areas across several states in recent months, triggering widespread displacement. In northern Jonglei alone, more than 280,000 people have fled their homes.
Violence surged sharply in January, with the UN human rights office documenting 189 civilian deaths and a 45% rise in reported violations compared with December.
Türk said civilians were increasingly caught in indiscriminate attacks, including aerial bombardments, targeted killings, abductions and conflict-related sexual violence.
More than 10 million people now require humanitarian assistance, while assaults on aid workers have also increased, further complicating relief efforts.
“Human rights monitoring provides a warning system. That system is flashing red for South Sudan,” he said, urging an immediate end to hostilities and renewed commitment to the country’s peace deal.
In a separate statement, the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan warned of the “systematic dismantling” of the 2018 peace agreement, saying this had left civilians vulnerable to renewed conflict and possible mass atrocities.
The commission cited widespread abuses, including killings, bombardments of homes and medical facilities, sexual violence, abductions and the forced recruitment of boys. Some of these actions, it said, may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity.
Both UN bodies have called for an immediate cessation of fighting and full implementation of the peace agreement, warning that without urgent action, the country risks sliding back into a conflict it has barely begun to recover from.