The United Kingdom used a UN Security Council session to warn that conditions in South Sudan are deteriorating and now require coordinated international attention and pressure. In a statement published on GOV.UK, the UK delegation set out three priorities: security, humanitarian access, and a credible route back to a political process.
On security, the UK condemned escalating military offensives since March, including attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. It denounced reported ethnically based hate speech and the reported recruitment and use of child soldiers, drawing parallels with the worst period of the civil war. The statement called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and full compliance with international humanitarian law.
The UK aligned with the UN Secretary‑General’s call to protect UN personnel following the killing of a UN Mission in South Sudan staff member in Wau in December. It offered condolences and underlined that safeguarding peacekeepers and humanitarian workers is a legal obligation under international law.
Turning to humanitarian access, the UK said life‑saving support must reach the millions in need. It highlighted the situation in Jonglei, where violence has displaced around 230,000 people since December. The 3 February airstrike on a Médecins Sans Frontières hospital was described as unacceptable, as was the large‑scale looting of a convoy carrying assistance for 73,000 people in Upper Nile State between 31 January and 1 February.
The statement reiterated a call on the transitional government to ensure unhindered humanitarian access to all areas, irrespective of political affiliation or ethnicity. It pressed for relief operations to proceed without obstruction by authorities or armed actors.
On the political track, the UK urged a return to the peace agreement. It called on the transitional government to stop proposing unilateral amendments to the accord and to halt the removal of opposition officials. The creation of parallel governance structures was flagged as a concern because of its impact on aid delivery.
The UK described the Revitalised Agreement as central to securing peace in South Sudan, particularly through a power‑sharing government. It said recent actions by President Salva Kiir’s administration are undermining that framework and risk reversing gains made since the agreement was signed.
Britain joined the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in urging all parties to recommit to inclusive, consensus‑driven dialogue to prevent a slide back into full‑scale civil war. The message connected immediate security pressures with the need for a viable political process that allows humanitarian operations to proceed.
For policymakers and aid agencies, the statement signals three immediate priorities: adherence to international humanitarian law to protect civilians and medical facilities; practical guarantees for unimpeded access across conflict lines; and the restoration of the peace agreement as the anchor for governance. Delivery against these points will shape whether displacement in areas such as Jonglei can be contained and whether humanitarian programmes can operate at scale.