U.N. warns South Sudan risks another delay in transition, urges steps on elections, security and justice

A United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) representative told the U.N. Security Council on Feb. 20, 2025, that the start of an extended transitional period marked the fourth extension of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement and that "there is no appetite for another extension."

The representative said progress had been recorded in four areas — civic and political space, access to justice, security arrangements and election preparedness — but warned those measures alone were "not sufficient" to meet the 10 critical conditions required for elections and adoption of a new constitution. The briefing listed immediate steps the parties and regional partners should take to demonstrate political will.

The UNMISS representative summarized gains on civic and political space, citing commitments from a 2024 governors' forum that included a resolution proposing repeal of specified sections of the National Security Services Bill and declarations by state governors to expand civic and political space. On justice, the representative highlighted the deployment of mobile courts in Unity State using local resources and welcomed enactment of the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing Act and the Compensation and Reparation Authority Act.

On security, the briefing said the long-delayed framework for management of the security sector had finally been adopted and noted the adoption of a national community violence reduction strategy. On elections, the representative reported operational steps by the National Elections Commission (NEC), which had launched a website, developed a legally mandated code of conduct, rolled out a civic and voter-education strategy and held stakeholder consultations; UN support was providing infrastructure for state high election commissions in all 10 states and coordinating on election security through the United Nations Integrated Electoral Assessment Team and UNPOL.

Despite those developments, the representative said the mission had not seen the previously promised harmonized work plan and operational timetable for elections and that constitution-making and census timelines "do not currently fit into the framework for a December" election timeline. The briefing listed what it called six "low-hanging fruits" that could signal political will: full deployment of unified forces (the NUF), civic education, voter registration, amending the National Security Services Bill, delivering on a code of conduct among political parties, civil society and media, and clarifying shared responsibility for election security.

The representative warned that lack of government funding and delayed legal and political decisions were slowing processes and that no explanation had been provided for the missing decisions or their timing. "There will be no resources from the international community to sponsor the implementation of the peace agreement ending with elections if there is no evidence of political will to accelerate implementation of the key benchmarks," the briefing said.

The briefing described continuing humanitarian, economic and security stresses: communal violence remained a primary driver of civilian harm; an influx of refugees and returnees following the Sudan conflict had pushed arrivals past 1,000,000; about 9,300,000 people were estimated to need humanitarian assistance; the cost of an average food basket rose about 200%; inflation stood at 107%; and "approximately 10 months of government salaries are unpaid." The representative also said cholera, exacerbated by 2024 floods, had resulted in more than 23,000 reported cases and that the 2025 humanitarian needs and response plan sought funding of $1,700,000,000 to reach 5,400,000 people with lifesaving assistance and protection.

The mission reported a request from the government for UNMISS to vacate part of its headquarters on a 45-day notice, which the representative said would impose significant cost and logistical burdens that the mission did not currently have resources to meet. The briefing also cited movement restrictions on peacekeepers in parts of the country and said UNMISS would continue dialogue with the host government through the high-level coordination committee.

The representative closed by saying the mission would "stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of South Sudan" as the country moves toward elections and that the situation would remain fragile as the electoral period drew nearer.