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STORY: UN / SOUTH SUDAN UNMISS
TRT: 03:36
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 10 FEBRUARY 2026, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UN Headquarters
10 FEBRUARY 2026, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, United Nations:
“Political deadlock among the main signatories to the Revitalized Peace Agreement continues to drive heightened tensions, manifesting in armed confrontations in many parts of the country. In recent weeks, we have witnessed a sharp escalation of violence, particularly in Jonglei, with clashes between Government and opposition forces. Both sides claim to be acting in self-defense, while at the same time preparing for the possibility of large-scale hostilities.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, United Nations:
“The reports of aerial bombardments, inflammatory rhetoric, mass displacements and severe restrictions on humanitarian access observed in Jonglei are of great concern. Communities that remember all too well the violence of 2013 and 2016 are again on the move – over 280.000 people displaced from fighting in Jonglei alone as per government sources.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, United Nations:
“South Sudan remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for humanitarian workers. In 2025, 350 attacks on humanitarian staff and facilities were recorded, up from 255 the previous year. Despite government assurances, partners report persistent access constraints, particularly to opposition-held areas. These constraints are unfolding amid the country’s worst cholera outbreak, with over 98,000 reported cases since the outbreak began in September 2024.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, United Nations:
“Amid these rising needs, the cost reduction measures have already resulted in significant operational capacity constraints to deliver fully on mandated tasks. For example, protection patrols have been reduced by up to 40 per cent where Force deployment is decreasing and by up to 70 per cent in areas where bases have closed. Long-duration ground patrols have dropped from three or four per month to one or two. Around 40 human rights monitoring missions have been cancelled. Areas where bases have closed are seeing increased tensions and clashes.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, United Nations:
“Today, the situation in Akobo shows the difficult balance we face. Although the base is scheduled for closure by March under the reduction plan, escalating fighting in Jonglei required the Mission to send reinforcements instead.”
12. Wide shot, Security Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, United Nations:
“The trends we are currently observing are clear: the presence of UNMISS continues to matter a lot. It matters to the people that we protect, it matters to our humanitarian partners that we assist, and it matters to the peace process that we actively support and engage in.”
14. Wide shot, Security Council
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Cecilia Adout Majok Adeng, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative to the United Nations, South Sudan:
“While acknowledging the complexity of the current security and humanitarian situation, South Sudan reiterates that the Revitalized Peace Agreement remains the sole viable framework for sustainable peace and stability. We caution against narratives that risk creating false equivalence between constitutionally mandated state actions taken to protect civilians and institutions, and the actions of armed actors operating outside the peace frameworks.”
16. Wide shot, Security Council
UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix stated, “The trends we are currently observing are clear: the presence of UNMISS continues to matter a lot.”
Addressing the Security Council today (10 Feb) about South Sudan, Lacroix said, “Political deadlock among the main signatories to the Revitalized Peace Agreement continues to drive heightened tensions, manifesting in armed confrontations in many parts of the country. In recent weeks, we have witnessed a sharp escalation of violence, particularly in Jonglei, with clashes between Government and opposition forces. Both sides claim to be acting in self-defense, while at the same time preparing for the possibility of large-scale hostilities.”
He continued, “The reports of aerial bombardments, inflammatory rhetoric, mass displacements and severe restrictions on humanitarian access observed in Jonglei are of great concern. Communities that remember all too well the violence of 2013 and 2016 are again on the move – over 280.000 people displaced from fighting in Jonglei alone as per government sources.”
He highlighted, “South Sudan remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for humanitarian workers. In 2025, 350 attacks on humanitarian staff and facilities were recorded, up from 255 the previous year. Despite government assurances, partners report persistent access constraints, particularly to opposition-held areas. These constraints are unfolding amid the country’s worst cholera outbreak, with over 98,000 reported cases since the outbreak began in September 2024.”
He said, “Amid these rising needs, the cost reduction measures have already resulted in significant operational capacity constraints to deliver fully on mandated tasks. For example, protection patrols have been reduced by up to 40 per cent where Force deployment is decreasing and by up to 70 per cent in areas where bases have closed. Long-duration ground patrols have dropped from three or four per month to one or two. Around 40 human rights monitoring missions have been cancelled. Areas where bases have closed are seeing increased tensions and clashes.”
He stressed, “Today, the situation in Akobo shows the difficult balance we face. Although the base is scheduled for closure by March under the reduction plan, escalating fighting in Jonglei required the Mission to send reinforcements instead.”
He concluded, “The trends we are currently observing are clear: the presence of UNMISS continues to matter a lot. It matters to the people that we protect, it matters to our humanitarian partners that we assist, and it matters to the peace process that we actively support and engage in.”
South Sudanese Ambassador Cecilia Adout Majok Adeng said, “While acknowledging the complexity of the current security and humanitarian situation, South Sudan reiterates that the Revitalized Peace Agreement remains the sole viable framework for sustainable peace and stability. We caution against narratives that risk creating false equivalence between constitutionally mandated state actions taken to protect civilians and institutions, and the actions of armed actors operating outside the peace frameworks.”
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