Anita Kiki Gbeho, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), told the UN Security Council that South Sudan is at a “critical juncture” with just weeks remaining before its planned 22 December 2026 elections.
She said the central challenge is whether the country’s transition remains anchored in the Revitalised Peace Agreement, warning that although large-scale fighting between the main signatories has declined, political, security and humanitarian pressures have intensified. Around 10 million people require humanitarian assistance, 7.5 million face food insecurity and 1.4 million people have crossed into South Sudan since conflict erupted in Sudan.
Gbeho warned that “the true measure of success is simple – whether South Sudanese citizens are safer tomorrow than they are today”, adding that stability in South Sudan remains “a regional and international imperative” amid wider instability across the Greater Horn of Africa.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011, but civil war erupted in 2013 following a political dispute between President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar, triggering years of conflict, displacement and humanitarian crises.
Although the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement significantly reduced large-scale fighting and established a transitional government, many key provisions—including security reforms, political reconciliation and governance measures—remain incomplete.
Reflecting these unresolved challenges, Anita Kiki Gbeho argued that the country’s future depends not only on holding elections but on sustained political dialogue, implementation of the peace agreement and ensuring that the transition delivers lasting peace and greater security for South Sudanese citizens.
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