Historical independence

South Sudan: status since independence

South Sudan's civil war and peace process since independence, through the March 2025 collapse of the unity government following Riek Machar's detention.

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Status verified as of 23 September 2026. Political positions change; this explainer describes the documented position on that date.

Civil war and the peace process, 2013-2019

Conflict between the Government of South Sudan and opposition forces broke out in December 2013 and led to the displacement of nearly 4.3 million people by early 2019, according to the UN Security Council.[1] The UN Mission in South Sudan found reasonable grounds to believe crimes against humanity and war crimes had been committed by both sides.[2]

The government and opposition signed the Revitalised Agreement on 12 September 2018.[3] As of March 2019, the Security Council recorded a reduction in political violence and the formation of most pre-transitional mechanisms under the agreement, while continuing to call on all parties to complete the outstanding institutions.[4]

2024-2025: transitional justice, postponed elections and the Machar crisis

In 2024, South Sudan enacted a Truth, Reconciliation and Healing Act and a Compensation and Reparations Authority Act, though the Hybrid Court and other transitional-justice bodies envisaged by the Revitalised Agreement remained unestablished; national elections, originally planned for December 2024, were postponed to December 2026.[5]

On 26 March 2025, First Vice-President Riek Machar was detained in Juba on charges including treason, an event widely reported to have effectively collapsed the unity government and risk renewed civil war amid famine conditions reported to affect 7.7 million people; as of a September 2025 report, Machar remained on trial on treason and crimes-against-humanity charges.[6]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: As of March 2019 the Security Council recorded nearly 4.3 million displaced persons in South Sudan and an estimated 6.2 million people facing severe food insecurity, according to the February 2019 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report.

    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 2459 (2019) (United Nations, 15 March 2019) link, preamble. Source record
  2. 2.

    Claim: According to the UN Mission in South Sudan's 8 May 2014 report "Conflict in South Sudan: A Human Rights Report," there are reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity, including extrajudicial killings, rape and other acts of sexual violence, enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention, had been committed by both government and opposition forces, and that war crimes had also been committed. Attributed to UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)

    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 2206 (2015) (United Nations, 3 March 2015) link, preamble. Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: The Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) was signed on 12 September 2018 in Addis Ababa, according to an independent conflict-research account; the UN Security Council also refers to it as "the 2018 'Revitalised Agreement.'" Attributed to ACCORD

    • African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), Reviving peace in South Sudan through the Revitalised Peace Agreement (ACCORD) link, article text. Source record
    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 2459 (2019) (United Nations, 15 March 2019) link, preamble. Source record
  4. 4.

    Claim: In March 2019 the Security Council described the Revitalised Agreement as "an important step forward in the peace process that provides a window of opportunity to achieve sustainable peace and stability in South Sudan," recognised a reduction in political violence and the formation of most pre-transitional mechanisms, and called on parties to complete the outstanding institutions as soon as possible.

    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 2459 (2019) (United Nations, 15 March 2019) link, preamble and operative para. 4. Source record
  5. 5.

    Claim: In 2024, South Sudan enacted a Truth, Reconciliation and Healing Act and a Compensation and Reparations Authority Act, but the Hybrid Court and other transitional-justice bodies envisaged by the Revitalised Agreement remained unestablished; national elections, originally set for December 2024, were postponed to December 2026.

    • South Sudan country page (Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect) link, 2024 legislation and elections postponement section. Advocacy organisation perspective Source record
  6. 6.

    Claim: On 26 March 2025, First Vice-President Riek Machar was detained and placed under house arrest in Juba on charges including treason, accused of plotting rebellion; this was widely reported to have effectively collapsed the unity government formed under the 2018 Revitalised Agreement, risking renewed civil war amid famine conditions reported to affect 7.7 million people. As of a September 2025 report, Machar remained on trial on treason and crimes-against-humanity charges.

    • Riek Machar detained on treason charges (AllAfrica) link, Detention and trial section. Source record

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