Do Not Forget: Aiding and Protecting Civilians in South Sudan

With 4 million people—one third of its population—unable to return to their homes, South Sudan continues to face one of the largest displacement and humanitarian crises on earth. Terrible floods, cycles of violence, and the slow implementation of peace have made matters worse. Yet the attention of donors and diplomats is waning.

By March 2022, the UN Security Council must renew UNMISS, its peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. UNMISS’ mandate must continue to prioritise protection of civilians, including internally displaced South Sudanese living in former UN-run camps that remain vulnerable to ethnic violence.

On 13 January 2022, Refugees International released Do Not Forget: Aiding and Protecting Civilians in South Sudan, a report that makes the case for the UN Security Council to bolster UNMISS’ mandate and resources. Report author Daniel P. Sullivan, deputy director for Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, is an expert on the humanitarian and displacement crises in South Sudan and has conducted research there several times over the last 15 years. 

In addition, the report details actions that UN Security Council members, UNMISS, donor countries, and the US government can take to address the humanitarian crisis and ensure the 2018 peace agreement gets back on track. Only then can displaced South Sudanese return home with dignity and without fear. 

The US is the largest humanitarian donor to South Sudan and has a pivotal political role. Yet Washington is hamstrung in its response because of a lack of high-level political representation and engagement. There has been no US ambassador since mid-2020, and a special envoy position has been vacant since August 2021.

The report recommends that the US government should:

Appoint a US ambassador to South Sudan and a special envoy for South Sudan or another high-level official within the office of the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa to lead diplomatic efforts toward a peaceful transition and sustained multilateral humanitarian efforts in South Sudan.

Maintain robust humanitarian funding for South Sudan and increase diplomatic efforts to urge other donor countries to give more.

Support UNMISS’s ability to carry out both main aspects of its mandate—supporting the peace process and protecting civilians—with political backing and enough resources to expand its mobile protection stance, while maintaining the ability to protect IDPs in former UN-controlled camps.

To see the report, visit www.refugeesinternational.org/reports/2022/1/11/do-not-forget-aiding-and-protecting-civilians-in-south-sudan.

This article is a press release from Refugees International.

For more information, visit www.refugeesinternational.org.