Security Tensions in South Sudan: Al-Burhan and Salva Kiir Discuss Developments in a Phone Call

Security tensions have escalated in South Sudan in recent days, prompting Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council Chairman, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, to hold a phone conversation with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit to discuss the current situation and bilateral cooperation.

According to a statement from Sudan’s Sovereign Council on Sunday evening, the call addressed relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen them, in addition to issues of mutual concern. The statement also noted that Al-Burhan expressed Sudan’s commitment to ensuring security and stability in South Sudan amid the recent developments.

For his part, Salva Kiir reaffirmed his government’s commitment to enhancing cooperation with Sudan, emphasizing efforts to contain the crisis and restore security and stability in the country.

International Concerns and Rising Tensions

Amid these developments, the U.S. State Department announced the evacuation of non-essential personnel from South Sudan due to increasing security concerns. It stated that ongoing armed conflict persists in the country, with clashes between various political and ethnic groups and widespread availability of weapons among civilians.

Similarly, the United Nations and the African Union Commission have expressed concerns over the growing violence, particularly after a UN helicopter was targeted in the town of Nasir in Upper Nile State last Friday.

Roots of the Crisis and Escalating Violence

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 following a referendum but quickly plunged into internal conflict after Salva Kiir dismissed his then-vice president Riek Machar in 2013, accusing him of plotting a coup. Despite peace agreements signed in 2018 and 2022, clashes between political factions and tribal groups continue to erupt periodically.

Recently, a militia known as the “White Army,” composed mainly of members of Machar’s Nuer ethnic group, took control of Nasir, prompting authorities to arrest key figures from the opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO).

With tensions rising, Sudan and neighboring countries play a crucial role in supporting South Sudan’s stability, as international organizations warn of the potential regional security implications of continued unrest.