About 300,000 people have fled South Sudan so far this year as renewed fighting between rival political leaders deepens fears of another full-scale civil war, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan warned on Monday.

The commission said the latest violence between President Salva Kiir and his suspended deputy, Riek Machar, risks pushing the country into a “catastrophic” conflict unless urgent regional intervention takes place.

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Fragile Peace Unravels

South Sudan has struggled with political instability and ethnic divisions since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011. The fragile power-sharing deal between Kiir and Machar — long-time political and ethnic rivals — has been deteriorating for months.

The two first fought a devastating civil war in 2013, which ended with a shaky 2017 peace agreement. That deal began to collapse earlier this year, leading to violent clashes between government forces and ethnic militias loyal to Machar.

In March 2025, fighting in the northeastern town of Nasir left dozens dead and displaced more than 80,000 people. Machar was later placed under house arrest, and in September, charged with treason, murder, and crimes against humanity — charges his spokesman dismissed as a “political witch-hunt.” President Kiir suspended him from office in early October.

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Mass Exodus and Worsening Crisis

Renewed clashes have forced nearly 150,000 people to flee into Sudan, already devastated by two years of its own civil war, while a similar number have crossed into Uganda, Ethiopia, and even Kenya.

In total, more than 2.5 million South Sudanese refugees now live in neighboring countries, with another two million displaced internally.

At the Renk transit center in northern South Sudan, thousands of families are arriving daily — many of them women and children seeking food, shelter, and medical care.

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‘Failure of Leadership’

The UN commission linked the escalating conflict to corruption and political dysfunction at the highest levels of government.

“The ongoing political crisis, increasing fighting and unchecked, systemic corruption are all symptoms of the failure of leadership,” said Commissioner Barney Afako.

Commission Chair Yasmin Sooka echoed the warning, saying the current turmoil stems from “deliberate choices made by leaders to put their own interests above those of their people.”

A recent UN investigation found that $1.7 billion from an oil-for-roads program remains missing, while three-quarters of the country’s population faces severe food insecurity.

Afako urged African Union and regional leaders to act swiftly to prevent “catastrophic consequences” for South Sudan.

“South Sudanese are looking to the region to rescue them from a preventable fate,” he said.