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South Sudan

https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/

May 2025

Fighting escalates in South Sudan amid peace deal collapse

In May, fighting between government forces and opposition-aligned groups intensified in South Sudan, threatening to unravel the 2018 peace agreement. Between 3 and 20 May, government forces escalated aerial and ground offensives in Jonglei and Upper Nile states, including a 3 May airstrike on a Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Old Fangak that killed at least seven civilians and injured over 20—suspending critical medical care for over 100,000 people. UN officials condemned the deliberate targeting of medical infrastructure as a potential war crime. The escalation follows earlier hostilities that began in February in Upper Nile, involving militia groups like the White Army. More than 130,000 people have been displaced in the past three months amid worsening humanitarian conditions, while dozens of opposition-linked politicians have been arbitrarily detained. First Vice President Riek Machar remains under house arrest. As ethnic tensions deepen and violence spreads, international observers have warned that South Sudan risks sliding back into full-scale civil war.

Sources: UN Human Rights OfficeInternational Crisis GroupThe New HumanitarianRadio TamazujUN Commission on Human Rights in South SudanBritish Broadcasting Corporation

March 2025

Detention of opposition leaders destabilises peace deal

On 26 March, First Vice-President Riek Machar was placed under house arrest by security forces, accused of inciting rebellion to derail the peace process. The move prompted fears of renewed civil war. Machar’s party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM-IO), said the arrest violated the 2018 peace deal, which it declared had collapsed. Other senior SPLM-IO figures were also detained and replaced by President Salva Kiir loyalists. The move followed 4 March clashes, when the White Army, a Machar-linked militia, attacked army positions in Upper Nile. Government forces responded with airstrikes on civilian areas, reportedly using barrel bombs, causing causalities and displacing at least 63,000 people. The crisis deepened with Uganda’s deployment of troops and tanks into South Sudan, raising concerns over arms embargo breaches and foreign interference. In February, Kiir dismissed two vice-presidents and promoted his adviser Benjamin Bol Mel, positioning him as a likely successor.

Sources: United Nations, The Guardian, Africa Confidential, Institute for Security Studies, British Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Tamazuj, Reuters

January 2025

Riots lead to causalities, curfew, and social media suspension

On 16 and 17 January, riots erupted in Juba and other parts of South Sudan following reports of South Sudanese nationals being killed in Sudan's El Gezira state earlier in the month. In retaliation, at least 16 Sudanese nationals were killed according to South Sudan police, while youths looted and vandalized shops owned by Sudanese individuals and burned several homes. In response, authorities imposed a nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew starting on 17 January, which lasted for more than 10 days and was intended to restore security and prevent further destruction of property. Additionally, on 22 January, the National Communication Authority ordered internet service providers to block access to social media platforms, including Facebook and TikTok, for a minimum of 30 days, citing concerns over the spread of graphic videos depicting the reported killing of South Sudanese nationals in Sudan. However, the social media ban was lifted on 27 January after the removal of the material in question.

Sources: South Sudan National Communication Authority, Radio Tamazuj, Associated Press, Reuters (1), Reuters (2), Committee to Protect Journalists

September 2024

Government postpones elections for the fourth time since independence

On 20 September, South Sudan’s parliament approved a two-year postponement of the long-awaited elections announced by the transitional government on 13 September, citing delays in implementing key provisions of the 2018 peace agreement and insufficient funds to register voters. The elections, originally scheduled for December 2024, are now expected to be held in 2026. This marks the fourth election postponement in the past decade, with South Sudan yet to hold elections since gaining independence in 2011. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from both national and international actors. A group of South Sudanese lawyers petitioned the court, challenging the legality of the postponement, while the United States, the United Kingdom, and Norway – international guarantors of the peace process – issued a joint statement condemning the delay as a failure of leadership.

Sources: Sudan Tribune, Radio Tamazuj, VOA News, Africa Confidential, AP News, International Peace Institute

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Global ranking per category of democratic performance in 2024

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Representation
151/173
Rights
165/173
Rule of Law
164/173
Participation
161/173

Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
11 483 374
System of government
Presidential system
Head of government
President Salva Kiir Mayardit (since 2011)
Head of government party
Sudan People's Liberation Movement
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
In transition
Women in lower or single chamber
32.4%
Women in upper chamber
32.1%
Last legislative election
2010
Head of state
President Salva Kiir Mayardit
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
31/01/2022
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
86.05%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
No Action
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
No Action
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
No Action
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
No Action
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
Regional Treaties
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
State Party
in
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

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Representation neutral Rights
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Representation neutral Rule of law
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Representation neutral Participation
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Global State of Democracy Indices

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Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

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