Violence in South Sudan is rising again: what’s different this time, and how to avoid civil war

Jan Pospisil

Violence in South Sudan is rising again: what’s different this time, and how to avoid civil war

Jan Pospisil

Research Centre for Peace and Security

Research output: Practice-Based and Non-textual Research › Web publication/site

Abstract

A rise in political tensions in South Sudan and an escalation of violence in the Upper Nile State have raised fears of a return to civil war in the world’s youngest nation. In early March 2025, neighbouring Uganda sent troops to South Sudan on the request of the government, and was involved in aerial bombardments.

South Sudan’s opposition groups took issue with the Ugandan intervention, and stopped taking part in discussions to create a joint military system in the country. These developments risk unravelling the 2018 power-sharing deal between President Salva Kiir, and First Vice-President Riek Machar and other opposition leaders. This deal brought a halt to a five-year civil war. Jan Pospisil, who has researched South Sudan’s political transition, unpacks the drivers of growing discontent.

Original language	English
Place of Publication	Nairobi
Publisher	The Conversation
Edition	TC Africa
Media of output	Online
Publication status	Published - 19 Mar 2025

Bibliographical note

open access

Funding

Funders
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

South Sudan
Civil War
Transitions
Peace processes
Armed violence

Access to Document

https://theconversation.com/violence-in-south-sudan-is-rising-again-whats-different-this-time-and-how-to-avoid-civil-war-252395Licence: CC BY

PeaceRep: Peace and Conflict Resolution Evidence Platform
Bell, C. (Principal Investigator), Kaldor, M. (Co-Investigator), Peter, M. (Co-Investigator), Pospisil, J. (Co-Investigator) & Magara, I. (Researcher)
1/10/21 → 30/03/27
Project: Research

Cite this

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AB - A rise in political tensions in South Sudan and an escalation of violence in the Upper Nile State have raised fears of a return to civil war in the world’s youngest nation. In early March 2025, neighbouring Uganda sent troops to South Sudan on the request of the government, and was involved in aerial bombardments. South Sudan’s opposition groups took issue with the Ugandan intervention, and stopped taking part in discussions to create a joint military system in the country. These developments risk unravelling the 2018 power-sharing deal between President Salva Kiir, and First Vice-President Riek Machar and other opposition leaders. This deal brought a halt to a five-year civil war. Jan Pospisil, who has researched South Sudan’s political transition, unpacks the drivers of growing discontent.

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M3 - Web publication/site

PB - The Conversation

CY - Nairobi

ER -

Violence in South Sudan is rising again: what’s different this time, and how to avoid civil war

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

PeaceRep: Peace and Conflict Resolution Evidence Platform

Cite this