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The United States Monday, March 10, 2025, ordered the departure of all non-essential government personnel from South Sudan, citing growing security concerns.The move, announced by the U.S. State Department on March 8, 2025, reflects mounting fears that South Sudan’s fragile peace is unraveling.
The country has been on edge in recent days following violent clashes between government forces, opposition factions, and ethnic militias. A deadly attack on a UN helicopter on Friday, which was evacuating South Sudanese soldiers, marked a significant escalation in hostilities, leaving several people dead, including a crew member. Meanwhile, the arrest of two cabinet ministers and the deputy chief of the army—figures allied to Vice President Riek Machar—has deepened political rifts, with opposition leaders condemning the detentions as a violation of the peace deal.
South Sudan has faced cycles of violence since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011. Just two years after its formation, the nation descended into a brutal civil war sparked by political rivalry between President Salva Kiir and Machar. The conflict, which lasted five years, resulted in the deaths of over 400,000 people and displaced millions. A peace agreement signed in 2018 brought an end to large-scale hostilities and established a power-sharing government, but tensions between the two leaders have persisted, and key provisions of the deal remain unfulfilled.
On Saturday, the United Nations Human Rights Commission for South Sudan raised alarm over what it described as a troubling reversal of progress, warning that the country was at risk of backsliding into war. Despite assurances from President Kiir that South Sudan would not return to conflict, instability continues to grip the nation.
Recent clashes in the Upper Nile region have further heightened concerns, with government troops engaging in fierce battles against the White Army—a militia group that fought alongside Machar during the civil war. Reports indicate that weapons remain widely available among civilians, exacerbating the potential for further violence.
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