On December 15, 2013, South Sudan erupted into civil war. Conflict began after growing political tensions within the ruling party of the country, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), exploded into political violence. Although the conflict began as a political showdown between elites within the SPLM, the violence quickly took an ethnic turn as leaders mobilized their respective ethnic and tribal communities. The war has not only resulted in widespread mass atrocities, but has also contributed to a growing humanitarian crisis.

 

 

Key Facts and Figures

 

• As of last month, 3.8 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance and 1.3 million had been internally displaced by the violence

• There are now well over half a million South Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries. Meanwhile, South Sudan itself houses 243,237 refugees.

• The conflict has also resulted in mass food insecurity. Much of the country verges on famine, particularly in Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Unity states. As many as 4 million people may face alarming food insecurity by the end of 2014.

 

 

Causes, Outbreak, and Acceleration of Violence

 

The outbreak of violence on December 15, 2013 was the result of longstanding political grievances within the SPLM and its army, the SPLA. The 21 year long civil war between the SPLM/A and Sudan ended with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2005. The CPA made provisions for a South Sudanese independence referendum after a six year interim period. Historical South Sudan saw a variety of rebel groups throughout the north-south civil war, but the CPA was negotiated solely between the ruling party of Sudan and the SPLM/A. One of the aims of this interim period was to allow the SPLM to reconcile its differences with other rebel groups and create a more unified South Sudan. While this period saw many groups absorbed into the SPLM, its platform did not grow to reflect its new constituency.

 

Following the successful referendum for an independent South Sudan, tensions within the SPLM grew. In July 2013, President Salva Kiir dismissed his vice president, Riek Machar, replaced most of his cabinet, and suspended the Secretary General of the SPLM pending a corruption investigation. President Kiir also began asserting his authority over the SPLA throughout 2013, including forming a Presidential Guard primarily from his own tribe and region. On December 6, the newly dismissed government members held a press conference denouncing Kiir’s actions.

 

On December 15, a meeting was held aiming to reconcile these differences. Hours after the meeting, fighting broke out in the headquarters of the Presidential Guard. In the chaos that ensued, President Kiir arrested 11 members of the SPLM, accusing them and former Vice President Machar of attempting a coup.

 

The violence quickly took on an ethnic component. President Kiir is Dinka, and former Vice President Machar is Nuer. In the initial fighting, the Presidential Guard is believed to have targeted Nuer civilians in the capital, Juba. Machar’s forces and other Nuer groups are also believed to have targeted Dinka civilians as fighting spread. International Crisis Group estimates that nearly 10,000 people died in the first four weeks of fighting.

 

While a cessation of hostilities agreement was signed on January 23, 2014, violations have been rampant. The United Nations Security Council has in turn threatened both the SPLM/A and rebel groups with sanctions should violations of the ceasefire and international human rights and humanitarian law continue.

 

 

Resources for Further Learning

 

On the humanitarian crisis:

• United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)

• Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

 

On political violence in the civil war:

• Human Rights Watch

• International Crisis Group

• The Enough Project