UN rights investigators say violence in South Sudan endangers planned transition

10 September 2026 — The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said its four-day fact-finding mission found renewed violence and political tensions that put civilians and the planned transition to democracy at risk.

Source: The Commission met government officials, political and security actors, civil society and other stakeholders during the visit, its 14th in a decade, the statement said.

Observed: Commission Chair Yasmin Sooka visited Jonglei state and heard accounts from survivors of recent fighting. The survivors described sexual violence, killings, displacement and family separations, and reported lack of medical and psychosocial support.

Source claim: The Commission flagged killings, civilian attacks, displacement, disruptions to humanitarian operations and growing insecurity for aid workers. It also expressed alarm over an attack on a UNMISS patrol in Jonglei that killed two peacekeepers and injured others, and called for an investigation and accountability.

Source claim and evidence: The Commission said political and civic space has narrowed as South Sudan prepares for elections in December. Commissioner Barney Afako warned that polls without essential safeguards, including inclusive political dialogue, could spark renewed conflict and increase the risk of atrocity crimes.

Source claim: The statement noted that implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement has stalled, but that the agreement remains essential for a peaceful and democratic transition.

Source claim: The Commission repeated findings from its 2025 report about entrenched corruption, diversion and misallocation of public resources, and said impunity persists. Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández said the Commission has repeatedly identified impunity as the underlying problem.

Source recommendation: The investigators called on authorities to take urgent steps to protect civilians, ensure humanitarian assistance reaches those in need, support UNMISS and humanitarian operations amid funding shortfalls, and create conditions for genuine, inclusive political dialogue with the SPLM-IO, holdout groups, civil society, women and youth before elections proceed. The Commission said those steps are necessary to prevent elections from becoming a trigger for violence and disruption. The Commission also said those responsible for the UNMISS attack should be held to account and investigated promptly and transparently."The patterns have changed little, while the human cost continues to grow," the Chair said, according to the Commission's report cited in the statement."Visit after visit, we continue to hear from people who bear the consequences of violence, displacement, insecurity and the failures of those with political and security responsibilities to prevent and address those harms," she added, in the document's account of her remarks."These are the safeguards that will prevent an election from becoming a trigger for violence and disruption," Commissioner Afako said in the same report, the statement said. "All these years, the Commission has documented serious violations and identified the same underlying problem: impunity," Commissioner Castresana Fernández said, the statement recorded."This paragraph contains direct sourced quotations as published by the UN Commission."

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