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Report by Emmanuel Garjiek
Juba, 10 February 2026 —
South Sudan’s fragile peace agreement is facing serious threat amid worsening political and security conditions, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) warned on Monday while briefing the United Nations Security Council.
Addressing the Council virtually, RJMEC Interim Chairperson Ambassador Maj. Gen. George Aggrey Owinow (rtd) said the implementation of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) had been placed “in serious jeopardy” by continued ceasefire violations, political infighting, and unilateral decision-making within the government.
Owinow reported that responsibility-sharing arrangements under the peace deal had continued to erode, citing the removal and replacement of opposition representatives from executive and legislative positions at both national and state levels. He also noted that First Vice President Dr Riek Machar, leader of the SPLM/A-IO, remains in detention and on trial alongside other party officials, further deepening political tensions.
According to RJMEC, decisions are increasingly being taken within the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) without the consensus of all signatories, in violation of the peace agreement.
On the security front, Owinow said the permanent ceasefire had been “severely violated” since March 2025, with ongoing clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the SPLA-IO in Upper Nile and Jonglei states, as well as repeated fighting in parts of the Greater Equatoria region.
Data from the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) showed that military confrontations had been recorded in six of South Sudan’s ten states and three administrative areas, triggering fresh civilian displacement and worsening humanitarian conditions.
CTSAMVM documented 76 alleged ceasefire violations in December 2025, including 21 incidents of hostilities and 25 cases of violence against civilians and humanitarian workers. The number rose to 87 alleged violations in January 2026, with hostilities and attacks on civilians continuing to increase.
However, RJMEC warned that CTSAMVM’s ability to verify violations has been severely undermined by financial and operational constraints caused by declining donor support, a challenge described as particularly alarming with elections scheduled for December 2026.
Owinow cautioned that continued military escalation and failure to resolve the political stalemate could reverse hard-won gains and risk plunging the country back into conflict.
RJMEC urged the Security Council to press all parties to immediately cease hostilities, restore the permanent ceasefire, and recommit to inclusive political dialogue. It also called for the reunification and professionalisation of security forces under a single, non-partisan command, and for a political solution to the detention of the First Vice President and other political detainees.
The commission further appealed for the reconstitution of the transitional government in line with the peace agreement, including the restoration of SPLM-IO portfolios, and strict adherence to the supremacy of the R-ARCSS.
Despite the challenges, Owinow said the revitalised peace agreement remains “the only viable pathway” to lasting peace in South Sudan and urged the international community to support its full implementation.
