US Urges Ceasefire in South Sudan Amid Peace Agreement Impasse. JUBA, South Sudan — The United States has called for an immediate ceasefire in South Sudan, warning that the country is on the brink of sliding back into war. U.
S. Ambassador Jennifer Locetta addressed the United Nations Security Council, highlighting the deteriorating situation following the government’s unilateral amendments to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement and the resumption of military offensives.
According to Ambassador Locetta, Washington’s priority remains achieving lasting peace in South Sudan.
However, she expressed concern over the government’s actions, which she described as undermining the peace deal. She pointed to ongoing military operations in Greater Equatoria and Greater Upper Nile as indicators of a retreat from the agreement’s gains.
The renewed violence has led to the displacement of thousands of civilians, suspended humanitarian operations, and the evacuation of UN peacekeepers, significantly impacting the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Locetta urged all parties to cease offensive military operations, withdraw forces, and ensure unimpeded humanitarian access.
The ambassador also criticized the transitional government for repeatedly altering the agreement’s provisions without broad consultation. She emphasized the need for transparent, inclusive dialogue involving all signatories to any revisions.
Despite limited progress on UNMISS contingency planning, Locetta called on Juba to lift remaining operational restrictions on the mission.
She condemned the financial burdens imposed on UNMISS by the government and demanded accountability from South Sudan.
The UN Under — Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, echoed Locetta’s concerns, emphasizing that the 2018 agreement is the only viable framework for stability in South Sudan.
He warned that there is no military solution and called for political leaders to return to dialogue and seek consensus.
In Jonglei State, violence has surged, displacing over 280,000 people. Reports of aerial bombardments, inflammatory rhetoric, and restrictions on humanitarian access have heightened fears among communities.
The UN has recorded 350 attacks on aid staff and facilities in 2025, a sharp increase from the previous year. George Aggrey Owino, Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), warned that the country’s deteriorating political and security climate is at serious risk of derailing the peace agreement. He called on all parties to halt hostilities, restore dialogue, and fully implement the peace accord.
As tensions rise, the future of South Sudan’s fragile transition remains uncertain.
The United States has signaled that continued instability could reshape its diplomatic and financial engagement with Juba.
