Juba, 27 Feb 2025: The African Union Mission in South Sudan (AUMISS), the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) are gravely concerned about ongoing tensions in Upper Nile State,  as well as clashes involving forces of the signatory Parties to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan  (R-ARCSS) in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal States.   

Specifically, AUMISS, IGAD, UNMISS and RJMEC call upon the Parties to urgently work together through the established mechanisms of the R-ARCSS to de-escalate the situation in order to restore calm in Upper Nile State.

According to the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM), the security situation in Upper Nile state in particular, has significantly deteriorated in past weeks. This has been heightened by the ongoing rotation of forces in Nasir, raising concerns about the likelihood of widespread violence.

AUMISS, IGAD, UNMISS and RJMEC, therefore, call upon the leadership of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) and the Joint Defence Board (JDB) to work collegially, and swiftly remedy the persistent security concerns in all the three states. We caution that if left unaddressed, these incidents could potentially undermine the Permanent Ceasefire, which remains the cornerstone of the Revitalized Peace Agreement. 

Lastly, we once again underscore the need to progress the full and rapid unification and urgent deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces to boost public faith and trust in the RTGoNU’s commitment to lasting peace and stability in South Sudan, at this critical time as the country commences the fourth extension of its ongoing Transitional Period.