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At UN, Calls Mount for South Sudan to Free Machar and Recommit to Peace Deal

UN Security Council speakers pressed South Sudan's authorities to free Riek Machar to restore trust in a fraying peace.

Overview

  • Britain told the Council that political backsliding is undermining the Revitalized Agreement, citing exclusionary reshuffles and sidelining of opposition voices, and it urged accelerated, inclusive preparations for the December 2026 elections.
  • UN peace operations chief Jean‑Pierre Lacroix reported rising ceasefire breaches, including aerial bombardments and clashes between signatories of the peace deal.
  • Pakistan called for de‑escalation, a return to the 2017 ceasefire, and backed African Union appeals to release Machar and other detained opposition figures.
  • Humanitarian needs are worsening due to severe flooding, cholera, and spillover from Sudan’s war, with hundreds of thousands displaced, over 7.5 million food insecure, and the response funded at roughly 30 percent.
  • UNMISS was described as essential yet hampered by Status of Forces Agreement violations, and its contingency plan to close field offices and repatriate staff faces new government conditions that threaten operations.