UNMISS is increasing patrols at a displacement camp as tensions rise in South Sudan, where renewed conflict threatens the peace.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is now conducting continuous patrols at a displacement site located near its peacekeeping base, responding to escalating tensions across the country. The tens of thousands of individuals residing in the camp are confronted with renewed threats, as violent clashes between forces aligned with the two main parties to the peace agreement occur in various locations nationwide. Political tensions are also reaching a boiling point in the capital, further exacerbating the crisis.

In response to these ongoing security developments, the UNMISS has acknowledged, through their interactions with both the local communities and displaced persons, that there are significant concerns regarding their safety and uncertain future. “As United Nations police, we have engaged with the communities by actively patrolling and maintaining a presence in the areas to help them feel safer,” stated Christine Fossen, the UNMISS Police Commissioner.

Following the signing of the Revitalized Peace Agreement and ceasefire in 2018, the country’s security situation showed signs of improvement. By 2020, UNMISS had successfully transitioned almost all displacement sites, which had been under the protection of the UN for seven years, into conventional camps under the jurisdiction of the South Sudanese Government. However, the country now finds itself once again on the brink of war, with the recent upsurge in violence and instability threatening to unravel the progress made in the years since the peace agreement was signed.