South Sudan 2024: The Year in Review

War and conflict continues to ravage the world. The reignited Israel-Hamas war has left more than 43,000 people killed, in addition to 103,258 wounded, most of whom are children and women, and more than 1.9 million people internally displaced. In South Sudan, dire human rights and humanitarian crisis continue to take place, including conflict between government, opposing forces, and their respective allied militias, as well as intercommunal violence, resulted in the deaths, injuries, and displacement of thousands of civilians. 

Here are some of the most significant events that took place in South Sudan in 2024:

Delayed elections and extension of the transitional period, and further political instability

After nearly five years of civil war, the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, and First Vice President of South Sudan, Riek Machar, the heads of the two main opposing political coalition, participated in negotiations in June 2018, resulting in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan. The peace deal led to a ceasefire and the formation of a unity government, but implementation of the agreement has been slow, and violence has persisted. In September 2024, the Transitional Constitution was amended, to extend by another two years the transitional governance arrangements in place under the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. According to the UN Commission for Human Rights, the last two-year extension of the Revitalized Agreement in August 2022, most critical tasks remain unimplemented, including the comprehensive unification of armed forces and their deployment, development of a permanent constitution, establishment of rule of law and transitional justice mechanisms, and credible electoral arrangements.

In November 2024, a battle took place in Juba after the home of former spy chief Gen Akol Koor Kuc was rocked by deadly gunfire. The battle lasted for more than 50 minutes, prompting locals to close their businesses and remain indoors for their safety. Gen Kuc, once a key member of Kiir’s inner circle, was sacked in October 2024 from his post as the head of the National Security Services (NSS) and was later placed under house arrest in November 2024. Two soldiers and two civilians were shot dead following a ‘serious misunderstanding’ among troops deployed to Gen Kuc’s home.

In a move that will further empower repression, despite pleas for revisions from several national, regional and international entities, including the UN Commission for Human Rights, in July 2024, the government adopted legislation preserving powers of detention routinely abused by the National Security Service, which maintains clandestine ‘ghost houses’ of torture and enforced disappearances. This repressive legislation reflects a troubling disregard for the basic rights of the people of South Sudan, and bodes ill for the prospects of a peaceful transition and credible elections.

In addition, in 2024, additional peacekeepers and urgent forces were deployed to hotspots in South Sudan after an escalation in inter-communal violence led to an increase in civilian deaths, abductions and displacements. South Sudan continues to suffer from one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, magnified by the worsening effects of climate change, macroeconomic shocks, and spillover from the nearby civil war in Sudan. 

Links: https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/civil-war-south-sudan; https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/09/south-sudan-extension-transitional-government-will-compound-dire-human

Deaths

South Sudanese Legislator Deng Goc Dies Aged 58

Well-known South Sudanese legislator and member of parliament, representing Renk County of Upper Nile state, Deng Goc, has passed away on 16 December 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya at the age 58 due to an illness.

South Sudanese Legislator Deng Goc Dies Aged 58

The good news

South Sudan at the Paris 2024 Olympics 

South Sudanese athletes participated in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, officially branded as the Paris 2024 Olympics, from 26 July to 11 August 2024.

South Sudan competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics, which would be the young country’s third appearance at the Summer Olympics, since its debut in 2016. South Sudan competed in the men’s Olympic basketball tournament for the first time in history. This is South Sudan’s first Olympics games after qualifying as Africa’s top finisher in last year’s World Cup. 

South Sudan played against Serbia, the USA (103-86) and Puetro Rico, and achieved its first Olympic basketball victory for South Sudan when it beat Puerto Rico 90-79 on 28 July 2024. Regardless of South Sudan’s departure from the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Bright Stars are celebrated for their impressive skills and excellent athleticism with a group of former NBA players, showcasing blueprint for Olympic success.

Sudan and South Sudan at the Paris 2024 Olympics 

South Sudan hosts first-ever World Cup Qualifiers match in Juba

FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrived in Juba, South Sudan on 11 June 2024 for the inauguration of Juba National Stadium, which hosted South Sudan’s FIFA World Cup 2026™ Qualifiers match – the first time a FIFA World Cup™ qualifier has been held in the country. He was joined by South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit and the President of South Sudan Football Association Augustino Parek. FIFA invested nearly USD7 mn (GBP5.49 mn) to support work in the capital. South Sudan will play against the DR Congo in March 2025 when the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Qualifiers resume while Sudan will play host to Senegal. South Sudan is currently fifth on the table with two points while Sudan is second with seven points. The FIFA World Cup 2026™ will take place from 11 to 19 June 2026 in host countries: Canada, Mexico and the US.

South Sudan Hosts First-ever World Cup Qualifier Match in Juba; Sudan Climbs to the Top of Group B

South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network Recognises South Sudanese Human Rights Defenders

South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network (SSHRDN) recognised nine outstanding South Sudanese human rights defenders, including two women, on the third edition of the South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network Awards (SSHRDN) Human Rights Defenders (HRD) on 9 December 2024 in Juba, South Sudan.

South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network Recognises South Sudanese Human Rights Defenders

For more information on the events that took place in South Sudan in 2024, visit hrw.org/world-report/2024/country-chapters/south-sudan