South Sudan Ceasefire Deal Under Fresh Pressure
JUBA — South Sudan’s Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS 2018) is facing renewed strain after monitors reported 76 new alleged violations. The figures have raised questions about how consistently signatories are translating commitments into stability on the ground.
CTSAMVM Findings in Upper Nile and Jonglei
The Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) said the alleged incidents were recorded in parts of Upper Nile State and north-eastern Jonglei State. The reports referenced clashes involving SPLA-IO and the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF).
Breakdown of Alleged Violations in the R-ARCSS Framework
CTSAMVM described the 76 allegations as including 21 incidents of hostilities between signatory parties, 25 alleged incidents of violence, three alleged incidents of sexual and gender-based violence, and 27 other alleged violations of different types. The report was published on Wednesday.
Malakal Monitoring Team Records Most Incidents
The mechanism said the Monitoring and Verification Team (MVT) with the highest number of recorded allegations was Malakal, with 34 in total. CTSAMVM noted this team’s area of coverage includes Upper Nile State and north-eastern Jonglei State.
Reported Airstrikes and Civilian Impact in Upper Nile and Jonglei
CTSAMVM reported airstrikes in areas of Ulang and Nasir in Upper Nile State, as well as in Jonglei State, from November to December 2025. The report also referred to civilian casualties and displacement following SSPDF airstrikes that, it said, targeted armed youth.
“Multiple sources indicated airstrikes were subsequently carried out on 29 December on parts of Lankien Town, Nyirol County, causing civilian deaths,” CTSAMVM stated.
Waat Payam Hostilities and Claims of Attacks on Barracks
CTSAMVM said both SSPDF and SPLM/A-IO provided details of serious direct hostilities from 23 December onwards in Waat Payam, Nyirol County, Jonglei State. According to the report, an SSPDF barracks was allegedly attacked by SPLM/A-IO forces, with combat deaths reported and weapons captured.
Ceasefire Effectiveness Questioned in Upper Nile and Jonglei
Based on the incidents listed for December 2025, CTSAMVM said the Permanent Ceasefire has been repeatedly violated by signatory parties and is currently not holding in the Upper Nile and Jonglei regions. The mechanism’s language underscored the fragility of security arrangements in those areas.
Political Tensions, Detentions, and the Unity Government Dispute
The monitoring report was published amid escalating political tensions, including what it described as unlawful detentions of SPLM-IO officials and a deepening political impasse. CTSAMVM’s account situates the security incidents within a broader dispute affecting the unity government architecture.
It also referenced claims that the government used gunships and aircraft in offensives against SPLA-IO forces in Upper Nile and Jonglei State since December 2025. The report presented these as claims contained in its reporting cycle.
Machar House Arrest and Competing Readings of the 2018 Peace Deal
CTSAMVM’s wider context included developments from late March 2025, when the government announced that Riek Machar had been placed under house arrest. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan was cited as calling for restraint amid rising tensions.
SPLM-IO said Machar’s arrest violated the 2018 peace agreement that formed the unity government. The report did not indicate that the parties had resolved the disagreement, leaving the political track under continued pressure.
Humanitarian and Human Rights Concerns in Conflict-Affected Areas
The report said civilians, including women and children, have borne much of the fallout in some parts of the country. It cited serious alleged violations of human rights and humanitarian law, including death, injury and displacement linked to military operations and related armed clashes.