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By Emmanuel Garjiek
Juba, 18 December 2025 — The governments of Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States have issued a joint warning over the worsening political and security situation in South Sudan, citing renewed violence, stalled reforms and widespread governance failures.
In a statement released on Thursday, the three countries—collectively known as the Troika—said the promise of peace following the signing of the Revitalised Agreement for the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) more than seven years ago has not been realised. They accused South Sudan’s leaders of failing to implement key provisions of the agreement, including power-sharing and the formation of a genuinely inclusive transitional government.
The Troika noted that public resources continue to be misused, with civil servants going unpaid while international donors shoulder the cost of basic services. Despite once being a middle-income country at independence due to oil revenues, South Sudan is now described as the world’s poorest and most corrupt state.
The statement also raised alarm over unilateral political reshuffles and a resurgence of armed conflict across several parts of the country, warning that a return to the levels of violence seen in 2013 and 2016 would be catastrophic for civilians and destabilising for the wider region, already affected by conflict in neighbouring Sudan.
Calling for urgent action, the Troika urged all parties—particularly the SPLM-IG and SPLM-IO—to halt armed attacks, return to the nationwide ceasefire and engage in sustained, high-level dialogue. They further demanded an end to aerial attacks on civilians, the release of political detainees, payment of public sector salaries, and increased funding for essential services such as health and education.
The statement also criticised government interference in humanitarian operations and restrictions on the movement of UN peacekeepers, describing such actions as unacceptable and calling for their immediate cessation.
The Troika appealed to regional and international partners to present a united front, stressing that South Sudan’s leaders must end the current conflict and rebuild trust with citizens and the international community. They added that meaningful reforms would restore global support, investment and respect for the country.
