South Sudan

In his 2025 annual report (S/2025/247) on children and armed conflict (CAAC), the Secretary-General (SG) continued to list the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) in the annex for recruitment and use, killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, and abduction as well as the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition – pro-Machar (SPLM/AIO – pro-Machar) for recruitment and use, killing and maiming, and abduction. In 2024, the UN verified 126 grave violations against 109 children and 7 grave violations that occurred in previous years. The UN verified the recruitment and use of 68 children, primarily by unidentified perpetrators and the SSPDF. 63 children were released; the report does not specify which parties were responsible. The UN also verified the killing and maiming of 23 children, the abduction of 25 children, sexual violence against seven girls, and three incidents of attacks on schools and hospitals. The South Sudan National Police Service detained 16 boys for their actual or alleged association with armed groups. In September 2024, the Government, in coordination with the UN, convened its third national conference on the prevention of child recruitment, highlighted its progress under the 2020 Action Plan, and committed to strengthening screening, accountability, and legal responses. In August, the SG will report on implementation of the UNMISS mandate per SCR 2779 (2025). The Security Council should: 

• Demand that all parties uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law (IHRL), and engage with the UN to end and prevent grave violations against children; and demand accountability for all perpetrators;
• Urge the Government and parties that have endorsed the 2020 Comprehensive Action Plan to fully and swiftly implement their commitments, and urge all parties to immediately cease all grave violations against children, and to release and hand over to child protection actors all children from their ranks, their reintegration should be prioritized in line with international juvenile justice standards, and detention should only be used as a last resort and for the shortest appropriate time; 
• Urge the Government to end impunity for grave violations against children through timely and impartial investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution; urge allocation of appropriate resources to ensure survivors of grave violations have access to justice, including for rape and other forms of sexual violence; and designate a focal point on CAAC in the Ministry of Justice; 
• Encourage the Government to continue strengthening efforts to prevent the recruitment and use of children, as well as other grave violations, paying particular attention to the most vulnerable, including girls;
• Call on all parties to take immediate and specific steps to end and prevent rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, ensure survivors have access to comprehensive, gender-sensitive, and age-appropriate response systems and services, and strengthen preventive measures. 

THE UNITED STATES IS THE SECURITY COUNCIL PENHOLDER ON SOUTH SUDAN.

This information is based on Watchlist’s Children and Armed Conflict Monthly Update – August 2025.

In July, the SG released his fifth report on the situation of children and armed conflict in South Sudan (S/2025/317) covering the period from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024. During this time, the UN verified 630 grave violations against 469 children, including 42 children who suffered multiple violations, and 41 additional violations that occurred in previous years. The most prevalent violations were recruitment and use (249), abduction (130), and killing and maiming (85). The UN also verified 47 cases of rape and other forms of sexual violence, 87 attacks on schools and hospitals, 24 cases of military use of schools and hospitals, and 32 incidents of denial of humanitarian access. The Government signed an extension of the 2020 Comprehensive Action Plan through October 2025. The SG welcomed the release of 125 children from armed groups and government forces, and some accountability measures, including court martial convictions for sexual violence. He also noted positive steps such as continued UN access to barracks for screening and age verification exercises, and the vacation of schools (8) and hospitals (2) previously occupied by armed actors, following persistent advocacy by the CTFMR. However, he expressed concern over the overall increase in grave violations, persistent recruitment and use, rising attacks on schools and hospitals as well as abductions, sexual violence against children, and widespread impunity. The Working Group should:

• Condemn all continuing violations and abuses committed against children in South Sudan, and demand that all parties uphold their obligations under IHL and IHRL;
• Call on the Government to ensure its full and consistent implementation of the Comprehensive Action Plan to End and Prevent all Grave Violations against Children;
• Urge all armed groups to immediately release all children under 18 from their ranks and end and prevent all child recruitment and use; reiterate that children associated with armed forces and groups should be treated primarily as victims and call on the Government to ensure children formerly associated with armed groups are handed over to civilian child protection actors;
• Call on all parties to take immediate and specific steps to end and prevent rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, including by ensuring perpetrators are held accountable and that survivors have access to comprehensive, gender-sensitive, and age-appropriate response and protection;
• Call on all parties to immediately cease attacks and threats of attack on educational and health facilities and personnel, as well as to refrain from the military use of schools.

This information is based on Watchlist’s Children and Armed Conflict Monthly Update – September 2025.

Year listed: 2007
Action Plans signed: SPLA – recruitment and use of children (November 2009; renewed in March 2012 as the national armed forces of South Sudan; recommitted in June 2014); SPLA/M-in Opposition – recruitment and use of children and killing and maiming (December 2015); Comprehensive action plan covering all grave violations replaces previous action plans for SPLA and SPLA-IO as of February 2020.
Sanctions Committee: South Sudan Sanctions Committee (Current Chair: Viet Nam)
Secretary-General’s reports on CAAC in South Sudan: 2020; 2018; 2014; 2011; 2009; 2007; 2006
Security Council Working Group conclusions on South Sudan: 2021; 2018; 2015; 2012; 2009; 2008; 2006
UN Mission: UNMISS