The situation in South Sudan is becoming increasingly precarious, with the country's young democracy facing renewed violence and political infighting. This comes as a power-sharing deal between President Salva Kiir and his deputy Vice President Riek Machar, who fought a bitter war before agreeing to a 2018 peace deal, is on the brink of collapse. The tension began when Kiir fired loyalists of Machar as part of a Cabinet reshuffle earlier this year, leading to government troops surrounding Machar's home and detaining several military officials allied with him. This has further escalated tensions between the two leaders who belong to different ethnic groups - Kiir is an ethnic Dinka while Machar's party mostly comprises Nuer people.
The situation in South Sudan is also being exacerbated by a militant group called the White Army, which Kiir claims has links with Machar and his Nuer supporters. This group clashed with government troops in Upper Nile state earlier this month, leading to casualties on both sides. The conflict took an international turn when a U.N. helicopter evacuating Sudanese military personnel came under fire, resulting in the death of more than two dozen people including members of the Sudanese military and a U.N. pilot.
The United Nations has warned that South Sudan is on the brink of regression amid these escalations, with political infighting and militia violence threatening to plunge the country back into civil war. The evacuation of non-emergency U.S. government employees from the region further highlights the gravity of the situation. It remains to be seen how this conflict will unfold in the coming days, but it is clear that South Sudan's young democracy faces a critical moment as it teeters on the edge of renewed violence and instability.
[Original Article](https://www.npr.org/2025/03/22/nx-s1-5333648/south-sudan-on-the-brink-un-warns-amid-renewed-violence) #south #sudan [Visit GhostAI](https://ghostai.pro/)
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