South Sudanese Civil War

South Sudanese Civil War
Part of Ethnic violence in South Sudan[28][29]

Military situation in South Sudan on 22 March 2020
  Under control of the Government of South Sudan
  Under control of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition
  Under control of the Government of Sudan
(For a more detailed map of the current military situation, see here.)
Date15 December 2013 – 22 February 2020
(6 years, 2 months, 1 week and 1 day)
Location
South Sudan with spillovers into Uganda
Result

Stalemate

Participants

South Sudan South Sudan

Allied militias:
SSLM[2]
SRF

EUPF[9] (alleged)
State allies:
 Uganda[10]
 Egypt[11] (alleged)

United Nations UNMISS[12]

South Sudan SPLM-IO[14]
Nuer White Army[15]

TFNF[22]
SSFDP[23]
South Sudan National Army[24][25]
NAS
Arrow Boys (since Nov. 2015)
South Sudan Wau State insurgents[26]
South Sudan SSOA (until September 2018)
South Sudan SSOMA/NSSSOG (until Jan. 2020)
Supported by:

 Sudan (South Sudanese gov. claim)[27]
Commanders and leaders
South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit
(President of South Sudan)
South Sudan Gabriel Jok Riak (from 2018)
South Sudan James Ajongo Mawut (2017–2018)
South Sudan Paul Malong Awan (2014–17)
South Sudan James Hoth Mai (until 2014)[30]
South Sudan Kuol Manyang Juuk
South Sudan Peter Par Jiek †
Uganda Yoweri Museveni
Uganda Katumba Wamala
Matthew Puljang[2]		 United Nations David Shearer (from 2016)
United Nations Ellen Margrethe Løj (2014–2016)
United Nations Hilde Frafjord Johnson (until 2014)		 South Sudan Riek Machar[31][32]
(Leader of the SPLM-IO)
South Sudan Paulino Zangil[c]
South Sudan Thomas Cirilo
South Sudan Gabriel Changson Chang
South Sudan Peter Gadet (died 2019)
South Sudan Lam Akol
Khalid Botrous[19] (2016–present)
David Yau Yau[d] (2013–2016)
South Sudan John Uliny[20][21]
South Sudan Gabriel Tang †
Yoanis Okiech †[22][34]
Paul Malong Awan (from 2018)
Strength
SPLA: 150,000 (2015)[35]
Uganda: 5,000+ (2014)[36]		 12,523 (2015)[12][37]
15,000 soldiers (2019)[38]
1,800 police (2019)[38]		 SPLM-IO: At least 10,000 defectors[39][40][41]
Nuer White Army: 25,000 (2013)[15][42]
NAS: 20,000+ (NAS claim, 2017)[43]
SSPA: 15,000 (SSPA claim, 2017)[44]
Casualties and losses
10,659 killed, 9,921 wounded (Jan. – Oct. 2014)[45]
Uganda 21 killed (by Jan. 2014)[46]		 5 peacekeepers killed (by Aug. 2015)[47] Unknown
190,000 violent deaths (Apr. 2018)[48]
193,000 non-violent war-related deaths (Apr. 2018)[48]
383,000 total deaths (Apr. 2018)
1.5 million+ civilians had fled South Sudan and 2.1 million+ civilians internally displaced (as of 2017)[49]
Four Kenyan civilians killed.[50]

The South Sudanese Civil War was a multi-sided civil war in South Sudan between forces of the government and opposition forces. In December 2013, President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar and 10 others of attempting a coup d'état.[51][52] Machar denied trying to start a coup and fled to lead the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO).[53] Fighting broke out between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and SPLM-IO, igniting the civil war. Ugandan troops were deployed to fight alongside the South Sudanese government.[54] The United Nations has peacekeepers in the country as part of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).[55]

In January 2014, the first ceasefire agreement was reached. Fighting continued and was followed by several more ceasefire agreements. Negotiations were mediated by IGAD, the African Union, the United Nations, China, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and Norway. A peace agreement known as the "Compromise Peace Agreement" was signed in August 2015.[55] Machar returned to Juba in 2016 and was appointed vice president.[56] Following a second breakout of fighting within Juba,[57] the SPLM-IO fled to the surrounding and previously peaceful Equatoria region. Kiir replaced Machar as First Vice President with Taban Deng Gai, splitting the opposition, and rebel in-fighting became a major part of the conflict.[58][59] A rivalry between the President and Paul Malong Awan, former army chief, also led to fighting.[60] In August 2018, another power sharing agreement came into effect.[61] On 22 February 2020, rivals Kiir and Machar struck a unity deal and formed a coalition government.[62]

By April 2018, it was estimated that about 400,000 people, 10.6% of which were children, had been killed in the war.[63] This death toll includes notable atrocities, such as the 2014 Bentiu massacre. Although both men otherwise had supporters from across South Sudan's ethnic divides, there were strong tensions between the Dinka and Nuer, which were often violent. Kiir's Dinka ethnic group has been accused of attacking other ethnic groups and Machar's Nuer ethnic group has been accused of attacking the Dinka.[64] More than 4 million people have been displaced, with about 1.8 million of those internally displaced, and about 2.5 million having fled to neighboring countries, especially Uganda and Sudan.[65] Fighting in the agricultural heartland in the south of the country caused the number of people facing starvation to soar to 6 million,[66] causing famine in 2017 in some areas.[67] The country's economy has also been devastated. According to the IMF in October 2017, real income had halved since 2013 and inflation was more than 300% per annum.[68]

  1. ^ James Copnall (21 August 2014). "Ethnic militias and the shrinking state: South Sudan's dangerous path". African Arguments. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference chimp1213 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Small Arms Survey (2014), p. 7.
  4. ^ Small Arms Survey (2014), pp. 14, 17.
  5. ^ a b "South Sudan deploys more troops to Upper Nile as fighting intensifies". South Sudan News Agency. 9 February 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  6. ^ Small Arms Survey (2014), pp. 7, 11, 14.
  7. ^ Small Arms Survey (2014), pp. 10, 11, 20.
  8. ^ a b Craze, Tubiana & Gramizzi (2016), p. 160.
  9. ^ "Ethiopian opposition leader denies supporting South Sudan against rebels". Sudan Tribune. 6 April 2015. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference withdrawal was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Egypt supports South Sudan to secure Nile share". Al Monitor. 24 February 2015.
  12. ^ a b "United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan". UNMISS Facts and Figures. UN. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  13. ^ "Mandate". United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). 16 October 2015.
  14. ^ "South Sudan oil town changes hands for fourth time. Why?". The Christian Science Monitor. 5 May 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  15. ^ a b "South Sudan: 'White Army' militia marches to fight". USA Today. 28 December 2013.
  16. ^ a b c "David Yau Yau surrenders Cobra-faction to a General linked to the SPLA-IO: Cobra-faction's splinter group". South Sudan News Agency. 12 January 2016.
  17. ^ a b c "Murle faction announces defection to S. Sudan rebels". 24 June 2015. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  18. ^ a b "South Sudan's Boma state violence displaces hundreds". Sudan Tribune. 31 March 2016. Archived from the original on 30 December 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  19. ^ a b "Top Cobra Faction general defects from Kiir government". Radio Tamazuj. 27 September 2016. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  20. ^ a b "Johnson Olony's forces prefer independent command in Upper Nile state". sudantribune.com. 17 May 2015. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  21. ^ a b "Government Questions SPLM/A-IO About The Position Of Gen. Johnson Olony". gurtong. 2 April 2016. Archived from the original on 7 June 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  22. ^ a b "The Conflict in Upper Nile". www.smallarmssurveysudan.org. 8 May 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  23. ^ "S. Sudan's Otuho rebels unveil objectives for armed struggle". Sudan Tribune. 4 December 2015. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  24. ^ "South Sudan General Gathoth Gatkuoth explains to Karin Zeitvogel why he broke with Riek Machar". voanews.com. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  25. ^ "Changson dismisses Gathoth Gatkuoth as FDP group splits over advance team to Juba". sudantribune.com. 12 July 2016. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  26. ^ "S. Sudan army in control of Wau town after heavy gunfire". sudantribune.com. 12 July 2016. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  27. ^ "S. Sudan rebels accuse government of backing Ethiopian rebels". Sudan Tribune. 18 March 2015. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  28. ^ Cite error: The named reference southsudannation.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  29. ^ Burke, Jason (12 July 2016). "South Sudan: is the renewed violence the restart of civil war?". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  30. ^ "South Sudan's president sacks army chief". The Daily Star. Lebanon. 23 April 2014. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  31. ^ "South Sudan rebel leader sets out conditions for talks". Trust. Thomson Reuters Foundation. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  32. ^ Cite error: The named reference fellapart was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  33. ^ "Pibor's Yau Yau joins SPLM". Sudan Tribune. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  34. ^ "Another S Sudanese rebel commander killed near Sudan border". Radio Tamazuj. 7 January 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  35. ^ IISS 2015.
  36. ^ "Major role for Ugandan army in South Sudan 'until the country is stable'". Radio Tamazuj. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  37. ^ "South Sudan". The United Nations. CA. 23 June 2015. Archived from the original on 25 April 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  38. ^ a b "Pride and reverence reign as UNMISS celebrates International Day of UN Peacekeepers in South Sudan". UN. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  39. ^ "South Sudan's army advances on rebels in Bentiu and Bor". BBC. 9 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  40. ^ "South Sudan rebels claim 700 government troops defect". The Daily Star. 6 February 2014.
  41. ^ "South Sudan army advances on rebel towns before peace talks". Reuters. 2 January 2014.
  42. ^ "South Sudan forces battle White Army". The Daily Star. LB. 29 December 2013.
  43. ^ "Thousands of Machar-led fighters "defect" to new rebel group". Sudan Tribune. 29 July 2017. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  44. ^ "South Sudan army denies rebel capture of military base in Aweil". Sudan Tribune. 17 June 2017. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  45. ^ "South Sudan's military casualties top 20,000". Archived from the original on 4 February 2016.
  46. ^ "South Sudan President Salva Kiir hits out at UN". BBC. 21 January 2014.
  47. ^ "South Sudan rebels split, reject peace efforts". News. Yahoo. 11 August 2015.
  48. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Reuters0918 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  49. ^ "Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General". United Nations. 10 February 2017.
  50. ^ "4 Kenyans dead as South Sudan evacuation ends". KE: Capital FM. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  51. ^ Koos, Carlo; Gutschke, Thea (2014). "South Sudan's Newest War: When Two Old Men Divide a Nation". GIGA Focus International Edition (2). Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  52. ^ Kulish, Nicholas (9 January 2014). "New Estimate Sharply Raises Death Toll in South Sudan". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  53. ^ "South Sudan opposition head Riek Machar denies coup bid". bbcnews.com. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  54. ^ "Yoweri Museveni: Uganda troops fighting South Sudan rebels". BBC News. 16 January 2014.
  55. ^ a b "South Sudan country profile". BBC News. 6 August 2018.
  56. ^ "South Sudan rebel chief Riek Machar sworn in as vice-president". bbcnews.com. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  57. ^ "South Sudan's Riek Machar in Khartoum for medical care". aljazeera. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  58. ^ Cite error: The named reference tamazuj was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  59. ^ Cite error: The named reference fp0117 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  60. ^ Cite error: The named reference tamazuj0717 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  61. ^ Cite error: The named reference washingtonpost0718 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  62. ^ "South Sudan rivals strike power-sharing deal". BBC News. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  63. ^ "Estimates of crisis-attributable mortality | LSHTM". www.lshtm.ac.uk. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  64. ^ "South Sudan 'coup leaders' face treason trial". BBC News. 29 January 2014.
  65. ^ Cite error: The named reference WashingtonPost0918 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  66. ^ Cite error: The named reference aj1116 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  67. ^ Cite error: The named reference bbcnews0217 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  68. ^ "As South Sudan implodes, America reconsiders its support for the regime". The Economist. 12 October 2017.


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).