Juba (TDI): April 15, 2025, marks two years since the outbreak of the renewed civil war in South Sudan. The fighting broke out in April 2023, following heightened political tension between the government of President Salva Kiir and opposition groups; primarily forces aligned with Riek Machar.
The conflict, rooted in long-standing political and ethnic disputes, has led to substantial disruptions in the country’s political, economic, and social structures.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), over 2.3 million South Sudanese have been displaced both internally and externally since April 2023.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that nearly 9 million people in South Sudan require humanitarian assistance as of March 2025, an increase of approximately 30% since the beginning of the conflict.
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) reported more than 3,500 verified conflict-related incidents from April 2023-April 2025, which include battles, violence against civilians, and abductions.
Humanitarian reports confirm that essential services such as healthcare, education, and market access have been critically impaired across multiple regions including Upper Nile, Jonglei, Unity, and Central Equatoria.
Read More: International Diplomatic Missions Urge South Sudan for Peace
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Program (WFP) in their joint 2025 outlook have warned that more than 7.1 million people in South Sudan are facing acute food insecurity, largely as a consequence of both climate-driven crop failure and conflict-induced disruption of farming activities.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) continues to report cases of human rights violations, including arbitrary detentions and recruitment of child soldiers, although exact numbers remain difficult to confirm due to restricted access in several conflict-affected areas.
Diplomatic efforts to reach a comprehensive ceasefire have been ongoing. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the African Union have hosted multiple rounds of negotiation talks, though no lasting agreement has been reached as of this date.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in July 2011, but the country has faced repeated cycles of conflict, including the civil war from December 2013-February 2020, which resulted in the signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
The April 2023 round of conflict marks a significant setback to that peace process, while countries around the world continue to urge the warring parties to practice restrain and adhere to a ceasefire.
Areeba Kanwal is a contributor at The Diplomatic Insight and has passion for International Relations and diplomacy.
