Nairobi, February 27, 2026 (SSNA) — South Sudan’s political and military leaders are pushing the country toward full-scale war and mass atrocities, the UN Commission on Human Rights on South Sudan warned in a new report released on Friday.
The Commission reports that government forces, under the ruling SPLM-IG party, have carried out widespread attacks on civilians, including aerial bombings, unlawful killings, sexual violence, and the forced recruitment of boys. Ethnic targeting, particularly against Nuer communities, is intensifying, while opposition leaders, including the suspended First Vice President Riek Machar, remain arbitrarily detained in politicized trials.
“These acts may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity,” said Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission. The report warns that senior political and military leaders are either authorizing or tolerating these abuses, while systemic corruption and weak institutions further destabilize the country.
The Commission calls on the government to halt attacks, release opposition leaders, restore the 2018 revitalized peace agreement, and uphold judicial independence, adding that armed forces and non-state groups must stop targeting civilians and allow humanitarian access. The African Union, UN, and member states are urged to press for compliance, fund protection efforts, and condition political support on respect for human rights.
“The combination of violence, repression, and impunity is pushing South Sudan toward catastrophe,” the report concludes.