The overlooked conflict: Civil war and humanitarian disaster in South Sudan, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan, an Indian peacekeeper, will be posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal for his service in South Sudan.
• India is the second-largest troop contributor to UNMISS with 4,368 personnel as of March 31, after Nepal.
• Renewed fighting in South Sudan since March 2025 has caused widespread displacement and a severe food shortage affecting over half the population.
• A UN report indicates that 56% of South Sudan's population faces acute food insecurity, with 700,000 children projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition by July 2026.

Detailed Insights:

• South Sudan, the world's youngest country formed in 2011 after a long struggle for independence from Sudan, has been plagued by internal conflict and instability.
• The civil war initially erupted in 2013 due to a power struggle between President Salva Kiir (Dinka community) and then Vice President Riek Machar (Nuer group), escalating local tensions.
• A peace agreement in 2018 (Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan) failed to fully materialize, leading to renewed conflict in March 2025.
• The White Army, a militia supporting Machar, clashed with the army, resulting in Machar's house arrest and subsequent charges of murder and treason.
• Attacks on civilians and destruction of essential infrastructure, including medical facilities, exacerbate the humanitarian crisis, hindering aid delivery to affected populations.
• UNMISS, established in 2011, aims to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian assistance, support the peace process, and monitor human rights, but faces challenges in the ongoing conflict.

Key Concepts Involved:

• UNMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan): A UN peacekeeping mission established in 2011 to address conflict and promote stability in South Sudan.
• Acute Food Insecurity: A condition where a significant portion of the population faces severe hunger and lacks reliable access to sufficient food.
• Peace Agreement: A formal agreement between conflicting parties intended to resolve disputes and establish lasting peace, often involving power-sharing and reforms.