Statement by the Troika and the EU on Violence in Upper Nile and Jonglei States

Members of the Troika and EU are deeply concerned by an escalation in violence in Upper Nile and Jonglei, South Sudan, where there have been reports of scores of civilians killed and around 50,000 displaced. These reports of killings, homes and livelihoods burned and destroyed, and sexual and gender-based violence, including against minors, are horrifying and cannot go unaddressed.

The impact of this violence on an already dire humanitarian situation is further devastating vulnerable communities and their access to health and education services. It is clear that South Sudan’s transitional leaders bear a share of the responsibility for the escalation of this violence, and primary responsibility for ending it.

The Troika and EU urgently call on South Sudan’s transitional leaders to act now to end the violence and protect civilians. We call on all South Sudanese authorities to allow and facilitate the safe access and delivery of humanitarian assistance to Upper Nile and Jonglei State as well as in other conflict areas in the country, and to the more than 9.4 million people in need of aid across South Sudan.  

We call on all sides to abide by the conditions set out in the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement. Each missed implementation benchmark further calls into question the political commitment of South Sudan’s leaders to end the transitional period in two years. Inaction now will lead to more innocent South Sudanese lives lost and a humanitarian situation that continues to worsen with each month. An enduring, nation-wide peace is the only way to address South Sudan’s appalling human rights and humanitarian situation.