Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The United States has sharply criticised South Sudan’s transitional government, accusing it of systematically undermining peace efforts and warning that continued non-cooperation could jeopardise future diplomatic engagement and assistance.
Addressing the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, U.S. Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs Jennifer Locetta said Washington’s “first priority in South Sudan is peace,” but charged that the country’s leaders have repeatedly pushed the nation back toward the brink of war since independence in 2011.
Her remarks painted a grim picture of escalating military activity across Greater Equatoria and Greater Upper Nile, which she described as clear evidence of deliberate steps away from stability. According to the U.S., ongoing operations in these regions have displaced thousands of civilians, forced humanitarian organisations to suspend life-saving assistance, and triggered the evacuation of personnel from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
“These actions directly obstruct UNMISS’s ability to protect civilians and catastrophically worsen a dire humanitarian emergency,” Locetta told Council members.
The United States also expressed alarm over what it described as repeated unilateral amendments to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan. Washington insisted that any revisions to the 2018 peace accord must be pursued through transparent and inclusive dialogue among all signatories, rather than imposed by one party.
Locetta further criticised what she termed interference by the host government in UNMISS operations, saying it had imposed unnecessary financial costs on the mission — costs borne by the international community. She stressed that South Sudan must be held financially accountable for such burdens.
The U.S. envoy also pointed to alleged failures by South Sudanese authorities to uphold commitments under the Status of Forces Agreement, including demands to close key UNMISS bases in Wau and Bentiu. Such actions, she warned, threaten the viability of the mission at a time when civilian protection remains critical.
Invoking President Donald Trump’s stance on foreign engagement, Locetta said American partnership “requires genuine cooperation, not exploitation of our goodwill and resources.”
“Our position is unequivocal,” she said. “Any further non-cooperation by South Sudan will constitute a threat to the Mission’s viability.” She added that this would be a decisive factor in Washington’s future decisions regarding assistance, diplomatic engagement, and the future of UNMISS.
The warning signals a potential turning point in U.S.–South Sudan relations, as mounting tensions over security operations and peace implementation place renewed strain on the fragile transitional process.
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