{"id":92096,"date":"2026-04-18T13:59:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T13:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/us-says-kiirs-actions-destabilizing-south-sudan"},"modified":"2026-04-18T14:59:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T14:59:57","slug":"us-says-kiirs-actions-destabilizing-south-sudan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/us-says-kiirs-actions-destabilizing-south-sudan","title":{"rendered":"US says Kiir\u2019s actions destabilizing South Sudan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Sudan. <\/strong><\/span>The United States on Friday said South Sudan President Salva Kiir\u2019s actions are pushing the country toward renewed civil war, sharply criticizing the government over alleged forced displacement, violence and obstruction of U.N. peacekeepers.<\/p>\n

Speaking to the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Jennifer Locetta said the crisis in South Sudan is not driven by a lack of peace agreements but by what she described as a lack of political will to implement them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tragedy of South Sudan is not a lack of agreements, it is a lack of political will to implement them,\u201d she said, citing remarks by the late U.N. official Nicholas Haysom, whom she described as a long-time advocate for stronger international peace efforts.<\/p>\n

Locetta said recent developments, including violence and displacement in parts of the country, underscored what she called a widening gap between Security Council decisions and conditions faced by civilians on the ground.<\/p>\n

She pointed to events in March, when she said government authorities ordered about 270,000 people to leave their homes within 72 hours, including in areas around Akobo. She alleged that the operation resulted in the destruction of civilian property and widespread suffering.<\/p>\n

\u201cHumanitarian workers described uniformed troops burning entire settlements to the ground,\u201d Locetta said. \u201cFamilies fled with nothing. Their water sources were contaminated. Women and girls were subjected to violence as a weapon of war.\u201d<\/p>\n

The United States strongly condemned the reported actions, saying they could not be justified as security operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe unequivocally condemn President Kiir\u2019s course of action and the transitional government\u2019s March 6 evacuation orders,\u201d she said, adding that such measures affected civilians, humanitarian agencies and U.N. personnel.<\/p>\n

Locetta said Kiir\u2019s policies were driving South Sudan toward renewed conflict.<\/p>\n

\u201cPresident Kiir\u2019s actions are leading South Sudan towards renewed civil war by prioritizing unilateral control over peace, protection of civilians and national stability,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She also accused South Sudanese authorities of obstructing the mandate of the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), describing what she called a sustained pattern of restrictions and interference with peacekeeping operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not an isolated phenomenon. It is part of a broader, deeply troubling pattern of obstruction and exploitation of international assistance,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Locetta said such restrictions included limits on movement, blocked repatriation flights and the forced closure of at least three UNMISS bases.<\/p>\n

She said the mission recorded more than 80 violations of its status-of-forces agreement between January and March, and more than 400 incidents in the final quarter of last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese systematic obstructions cost millions of dollars and undermine the ability of peacekeepers to operate effectively,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The United States said it would not support a mandate that maintains the status quo while civilians remain under threat and peacekeepers face restrictions.<\/p>\n

Locetta called for a narrower UNMISS mandate focused on civilian protection, humanitarian access, human rights reporting, accountability for obstruction and improved transparency.<\/p>\n

She also criticized the mission\u2019s operational posture, citing a June 2025 report by the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services that found most patrols remained close to UN bases.<\/p>\n

\u201cEighty percent of UNMISS patrols remained within five kilometers of bases,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s not peacekeeping. That\u2019s bench-warming on our dime.\u201d<\/p>\n

Locetta urged the Security Council to press both South Sudanese authorities and the mission itself for greater accountability, warning that civilians could not wait for prolonged diplomatic processes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people of South Sudan do not need another year of process,\u201d she said. \u201cThey need protection and leaders who will actually work for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The statement comes as the U.N. Security Council prepares to decide on the renewal of the UNMISS mandate.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The United States on Friday said South Sudan President Salva Kiir\u2019s actions are pushing the country toward renewed civil war, sharply criticizing the government over alleged forced displacement, violence and obstruction of U.N. peacekeepers. Speaking to the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Jennifer Locetta said the crisis in South Sudan is not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":92095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[233],"class_list":["post-92096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-south-sudan"],"yoast_head":"\nUS says Kiir\u2019s actions destabilizing South Sudan - South Sudan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The United States on Friday said South Sudan President Salva Kiir\u2019s actions are pushing the country toward renewed civil ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/us-says-kiirs-actions-destabilizing-south-sudan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"US says Kiir\u2019s actions destabilizing South Sudan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The United States on Friday said South Sudan President Salva Kiir\u2019s actions are pushing the country toward renewed civil ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/us-says-kiirs-actions-destabilizing-south-sudan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"South Sudan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-18T13:59:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-18T14:59:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/sites\/32\/2026\/04\/sm_1776511695.282845.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1298\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/us-says-kiirs-actions-destabilizing-south-sudan#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/us-says-kiirs-actions-destabilizing-south-sudan\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"US says Kiir\u2019s actions destabilizing South Sudan\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-18T13:59:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-18T14:59:57+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/us-says-kiirs-actions-destabilizing-south-sudan\"},\"wordCount\":628,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/us-says-kiirs-actions-destabilizing-south-sudan#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/sites\/32\/2026\/04\/sm_1776511695.282845.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"South-Sudan\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/us-says-kiirs-actions-destabilizing-south-sudan#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/us-says-kiirs-actions-destabilizing-south-sudan\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/us-says-kiirs-actions-destabilizing-south-sudan\",\"name\":\"US says Kiir\u2019s actions destabilizing South Sudan - 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