Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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January 26, 2026 International law
The risk of mass violence against civilians and further derailment of the peace agreement in South Sudan has sharply increased. The UN Commission on Human Rights in the country warned on Monday in response to recent inflammatory statements by senior South Sudanese military officials and reports of force mobilization in Jonglei State.
UN experts noted that public statements by commanders and others with de facto control over the armed forces, coupled with the active deployment of troops, represent a dangerous escalation at a time when the political foundations of the peace process are already seriously weakened.
International criminal liability
Under international law, military and civilian leaders who incite the commission of crimes or exercise effective control over forces may be held criminally responsible. Liability also applies to those who failed to prevent crimes or punish those responsible if they knew or should have known about the violations being committed.
"Rhetoric calling for the killing of those no longer involved in the fighting and civilians, including the elderly, with claims that 'no one should be spared' is not only shocking but also extremely dangerous," said Commission Chairperson Yasmin Sooka.
She recalled that in the past, such statements preceded mass atrocities.
"When such statements are made or tolerated by those in positions of command, it is perceived as a license to commit violence and removes any expectations of restraint," Sooka warned. "In a context where civilians have already been forced to flee, traumatized and defenseless, such calls put entire communities at serious risk."
The Cycle of Violence
The Commission emphasized that what is happening is not an isolated incident, but part of a broader political crisis associated with systematic violations of the peace agreement and a weakening of discipline within the command structures.
According to Commission expert Barney Afako, the mobilization of forces in such a situation, accompanied by ethnically charged statements, could trigger a spiral of violence that could quickly spiral out of control.
"If there is no immediate intervention at the highest level to rein in the armed forces, achieve de-escalation, and return to consensus politics, South Sudan risks rapidly sliding into a new phase of large-scale violence," Afako said. "In addition to measures at the national level, what is happening urgently requires the involvement of regional leaders at the highest level to facilitate the restoration of the transition process in South Sudan. Time is running out."
Incitement to crime
The Commission emphasized that, under international humanitarian and criminal law, command responsibility extends not only to those who give criminal orders, but also to those who incite crimes or fail to prevent them.
"The peace agreement was created precisely to prevent such a descent into violence," noted Commission member Carlos Castresana Fernández. "Public orders or statements encouraging attacks on civilians, including rhetoric portraying entire communities as legitimate targets, may give rise to individual criminal liability under international law."
The experts called on all parties to immediately cease inflammatory statements and the mobilization of forces, and on the country's leadership to take measures to de-escalate the conflict. They also emphasized that President Salva Kiir bears heightened responsibility for ensuring effective control over the forces acting on his behalf. A similar responsibility rests with the Chief of Staff of the South Sudanese Armed Forces, the Minister of Defense, and other officials exercising operational control over military operations in Jonglei State and other parts of the country.
The commission called on regional and international partners to urgently resume active engagement to preserve the peace agreement and exert pressure on South Sudan's leadership. The experts warned that without this, the country risks sliding into full-scale interethnic conflict and a new, preventable tragedy.
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