Escalating Violence Tests Peace Deal
Fresh clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and the SPLA-IO over the weekend intensified a year-long breakdown of the 2018 revitalized peace accord, pushing violence into Unity State after earlier flare-ups in Nasir and much of Greater Equatoria and Upper Nile.
Civil Society Decries ‘Death on Citizens’
Government arrests in March, including First Vice-President Riek Machar, followed heavy fighting in Nasir. Treason and murder charges opened in September, deepening mistrust as artillery strikes and ground assaults spread, according to battlefield reports shared with civil society monitors.
Edmund Yakani, heading Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, condemned both government and opposition leaders for what he called “death on your own citizens.” He questioned a politics that, in his words, trades innocent lives for the opportunity to access or retain authority.
Youth Urged to Reject Mobilisation
Addressing youths, Yakani urged them to shun recruitment. “These politicians know what they want. If they disagree, they kill us; if they agree, they loot us,” he argued, labelling elites “profiteers of violence” shielded from the pain endured by ordinary families.
Humanitarian Strains and Ethnic Fears
The activist warned that continued offensives through January could ignite ethnically driven atrocities as international relief budgets shrink. With humanitarian space closing, civilians risk being trapped between advancing fronts without food, shelter, or medical support.
Elections Hang in the Balance
Yakani further cautioned that the repeatedly delayed 2026 polls may lose credibility unless a ceasefire and inclusive dialogue emerge quickly. “Let our independence not be a curse on our common citizen,” he said, calling for immediate negotiations rooted in the 2018 framework.