JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

- H.E. Ambassador James Kariuki, President of the UN Security Council;

- Distinguished Members of the Council;

- Excellencies;

- Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.

Mr President,

1. May I begin by congratulating you on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I would also like to convey my thanks for inviting the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) to address this esteemed Council.

2. The RJMEC is the official oversight body responsible for monitoring and evaluating the status of implementation of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), and it is mandated under Article 7.10 of the R-ARCSS to submit status of implementation reports quarterly, followed by detailed briefings to, inter alia, the United Nations Security Council.

3. My report today builds on my last briefing to this esteemed Council, delivered on 18 August 2025, when I provided an update on the substantial deterioration in the political and security situation in the Republic of South Sudan, and on RJMEC’s latest quarterly report covering the period 1st October 2025 to 31st December 2025. 

Mr President, Esteemed Council Members,

4. Since my last briefing, the political and security situation in the Republic of South Sudan has continued to deteriorate, placing the implementation of the R-ARCSS in serious jeopardy. Politically, the responsibility-sharing arrangements of the Peace Agreement continue to deteriorate through removals and replacements of opposition representatives from different portfolios of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) executive and legislature at national and state levels.  In addition, H.E. Dr Riek Machar Teny, First Vice President and Chairperson of the SPLM/A-IO, remains in detention and on trial together with other SPLM/A-IO officials. Meanwhile, some decisions are being made within the RTGoNU without the consensus of all Agreement signatories as required by the R-ARCSS.

5. On the security situation, the permanent ceasefire has been severely violated since March 2025. The clashes between the SSPDF and SPLA-IO show no signs of abating, evident by the ongoing military offensive in the Upper Nile and Jonglei States and repeated clashes reported in different parts of the greater Equatoria region. According to reports from Ceasefire and Transitional Security Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM), military confrontations between the SSPDF and the SPLA-IO and allied forces have occurred in six out of the ten States and three Administrative Areas, triggering a new wave of civilian displacement and humanitarian hardships. 

6. In December 2025 alone, CTSAMVM documented 76 alleged ceasefire violations, 21 incidents of hostilities and 25 incidents of violence against civilians and humanitarian actors. Those numbers further increased in January 2026 to 87 alleged ceasefire violations, of which 30 of the incidents were reported hostilities between the signatory parties and 26 incidents of violence against civilians and humanitarian actors. Amidst the ongoing ceasefire violations, CTSAMVM faces serious financial and operational challenges affecting its capability to verify all the alleged violations. The reporting and especially investigative capacity have, in recent years, been critically reduced due to continuous cuts in donor support. As we are approaching the scheduled elections for December this year, it is highly regrettable that CTSAMVM is severely confined by financial stress.

7. Despite the continuous appeal for de-escalation, ceasefire, political dialogue and adherence to the provisions of the R-ARCSS, repeated actions to the contrary have seriously undermined confidence in the peace process and risk returning the country back to war. With time fast running out, any further deterioration of the security situation, coupled with failure by the RTGoNU to urgently address the political stalemate and commence genuine and inclusive dialogue on a viable way forward, including on the conduct of elections and a peaceful end to the Transitional Period, poses a great risk to the Peace Agreement.

Mr President, Distinguished Council Members,

8. In light of the aforementioned, RJMEC recommends to this Council the following urgent actions to restore the sanctity of the R-ARCSS and to encourage a return to its full implementation. The Council to:

a) Prevail on the Parties to the Agreement to cease all hostilities, embrace all-inclusive genuine dialogue, and re-activate the Agreement implementation mechanisms;

b) Immediately restore and respect the Permanent Ceasefire, and embark on the full reunification and professionalisation of security forces under a single non-partisan command. 

c) Urge the leadership in Juba to preserve the peace, promote reconciliation, resolve political disagreements through dialogue and address disputes through the mechanisms of the R-ARCSS;

d) Assist the RTGoNU to resolve the current political and security impasse and find a political solution to the issue of the First Vice President and all political detainees to pave the way to meaningful dialogue to a peaceful end to the Transitional Period; and

e) Call upon the RTGoNU to reconstitute itself as per the provisions of the R-ARCSS, particularly restoring SPLM-IO portfolios and move with urgency to implement the R-ARCSS in letter and spirit, and adhere strictly to its provisions, including upholding its supremacy; and

f) Remain seized of the situation in the Republic of South Sudan.

9. As I conclude, I would like to appeal to this esteemed Council to use its good offices to support the implementation of the Revitalised Peace Agreement. To date, the R-ARCSS has delivered significant peace dividends, which should be consolidated, and it remains the only viable available pathway to building an enduring peace in South Sudan.  

I Thank You!