Escalating Situation in Upper Nile, S. Sudan, UN Calls for Calm

Juba – Sudanhorizon
The White Army, a group close to South Sudan’s Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, issued a strong worded statement on Tuesday, accusing the Ugandan army, backed by SPLA forces, of attacking its positions in northern South Sudan in support of President Salva Kiir.
The statement accused the government in Juba of showing hatred toward various Nuer communities in South Sudan, stressing that they would never forget the airplanes and artillery shelling of their civilian communities.
The statement, signed by Ramket Met, acting spokesperson for the White Army, urged the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the East African Community, the Troika, the United Nations, and other relevant stakeholders to hold the South Sudanese army accountable. It stated that President Salva Kiir bears responsibility for the attacks against civilians in Upper Nile State, South Sudan, which have claimed the lives of an unknown number of persons in five South Sudanese counties.
Violent disputes erupted in South Sudan, followed by trading accusations that the government in Juba was using Ugandan forces to protect President Kiir and his government. The South Sudanese government denied these accusations on the onset, although the commander-in-chief of the Ugandan forces, Muhizi Museveni, had confirmed this.
Meanwhile, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom, warned at a meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council on South Sudan, March 18, against the escalation of disputes that could lead to a full-scale war, undermining the peace agreement reached in South Sudan.
In his statement, representing the peace partners, Haysom expressed concern that South Sudan was on the verge of sliding into civil war, threatening to erase the hard-won peace gains achieved since the signing of the peace agreement and the revitalization of the 2018 peace agreement.
He called for immediate and collective intervention to ensure war is avoided. It is noteworthy that after the White Army seized the Naser barracks in Upper Nile on March 4, tensions across the country escalated to their highest levels.
The government in Juba arrested several senior military and civilian officials from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), while some went into hiding or fled the country.
Meanwhile, airstrikes on Naser have caused civilian casualties. Hate speech has spread, raising concerns that the conflict could take on an ethnic dimension.
Haysom welcomed the extraordinary summit convened by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on March 12 and its statement, which clearly called for a de-escalation of tensions in South Sudan.
He noted that while they commended President Kiir for reassuring citizens that there would be no return to war, to fulfill this commitment, the parties must take the necessary steps and remain steadfast in implementing the letter and spirit of the revitalized agreement. He called on all parties to renew their commitment to the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), reactivate their relevant mechanisms, and encourage the two main parties to meet and address their differences constructively, addressing the nation together as a show of unity.
Haysom called for the release of detained military and civilian officials or their treatment according to due process of law, and for the tensions in Naser City to be addressed immediately through dialogue rather than further military confrontations.
He warned against a repeat of the ongoing Sudanese experience, adding, “We need look no further than the northern border to Sudan for a stark reminder of how quickly countries can slide into catastrophic war.” He argued that to avoid this outcome in South Sudan, there must be an immediate return by all parties to consensus-based decision-making.
There must be intensive dialogue to resolve grievances and rebuild trust between the parties, and between the parties and their supporters.” The White Army is made up of armed Nuer youth linked to Riek Machar, First Vice President of South Sudan and leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO). According to a press release issued by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on February 18, the fighting involved heavy weapons and resulted in casualties among civilians and armed personnel.
The statement added that a pre-planned UNMISS patrol was caught in the crossfire, and a UN peacekeeper was injured during a mortar attack. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has expressed deep concern about the clashes in Naser, Upper Nile, and the ongoing tensions between regular forces in Western Equatoria, which have resulted in deaths, destruction of property, and displacement of civilians in both states.
On February 14-15, a series of violent clashes took place between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and armed youth in Naser. These clashes involved the use of heavy weapons, reportedly resulting in deaths and injuries among civilians as well as armed personnel. A previously planned UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) patrol was also affected by the fighting, with one peacekeeper injured by mortar fire.
“I urge all parties involved to exercise restraint and restore calm immediately,” said Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS. “I strongly condemn any violence against peacekeepers, and I emphasize that such actions constitute a violation of international law.”
“The situation in both locations underscores the critical importance of the full and rapid deployment of the required unified forces, in accordance with the Revitalized Peace Agreement. It is critical that, as South Sudan begins its fourth extension of the transitional period on February 22, the parties adhere to the agreement and expedite its implementation, as it remains the only path toward everlasting peace.

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