US Orders Evacuation of Non-Emergency Personnel from South Sudan Amid Rising Tensions

Due to rising tensions, the United States has ordered non-emergency staff to leave South Sudan. Ongoing fighting threatens a fragile peace deal between President Kiir and Vice-President Machar, originally signed in 2018 after a devastating civil war. As clashes persist, the UN warns of potential regression in peace efforts, necessitating international attention.

The United States government has mandated the departure of all non-emergency personnel from South Sudan due to escalating tensions in the region. Recent clashes threaten to destabilize the fragile peace established by President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar through their 2018 peace agreement, which aimed to end a prolonged civil war that resulted in significant loss of life.

According to a statement from the US State Department, ongoing fighting among various political and ethnic factions has been reported in South Sudan, alongside the alarming availability of weapons among the populace. In light of these risks, officials stated, “on March 08, 2025, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US government employees.”

The UN human rights commission for South Sudan has expressed concerns regarding a perilous regression threatening to reverse the hard-fought progress toward lasting peace. In response to the unrest, President Kiir has urged for calm and reassured citizens that the nation would not descend back into conflict.

Tensions increased when a UN helicopter evacuating members of the national army came under fire, resulting in casualties, including the death of a crew member. Furthermore, security forces arrested the deputy chief of the army and two ministers allied with Machar, described by an opposition representative as a “grave violation” of the peace agreement.

These arrests followed violent clashes in Upper Nile state between government forces and the White Army, a militia that previously fought alongside Machar during the civil war. South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011 after separating from Sudan, faced devastating conflict just two years later due to a power struggle between Kiir and Machar.

Although the power-sharing agreement in 2018 momentarily halted the violence, significant components—including the establishment of a new constitution, scheduled elections, and military reunification—remain unfulfilled. Meanwhile, sporadic ethnic violence continues to afflict parts of the nation.

In summary, the United States has ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel from South Sudan amid rising tensions that jeopardize an existing peace deal between key political leaders. The country faces ongoing conflict, highlighted by recent violence that raises fears of renewed war. Continued commitment to the terms of the 2018 peace agreement is crucial to preventing further instability in South Sudan as it navigates the aftermath of a brutal civil war.

Original Source: www.bbc.com