The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan has begun closing several bases due to a severe budget shortfall.
Since independence in 2011, South Sudan has endured devastating conflict, including a 2013–2018 civil war that killed at least 400,000 people.
Fragile power-sharing restored temporary calm, but violence surged in early 2025 between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar.
Machar was arrested in March, while Kiir faces charges of crimes against humanity, deepening political instability.
US budget cuts forced UNMISS to reduce troops by 25 percent.
UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix outlined plans for base closures, troop repatriation, and staff cuts.
The report showed UN-marked tanks escorting military trucks out of a Torit base that had hosted hundreds of personnel and frequent clashes.
Senior UNMISS official Mark Omina said the closures “caught them off guard,” stripping staff of their main income.
Before the cuts, UNMISS deployed over 13,000 troops and 1,500 police officers, providing critical security and aid.
Oxfam warned South Sudan has never received so little assistance in 14 years, while over two million are internally displaced, 300,000 fled this year, and more than a million Sudanese refugees remain in the country.
Bases in Aweil, Warrap, Rumbek, and other areas are slated to close, raising concerns about civilian safety.
Torit resident Nakuwa said, “South Sudan must learn to take care of itself.”
