South SudanKey figures
Who is fighting
Government of South Sudan
- South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF)
- Agwelek forces (Gen. Johnson Olony)
- National Security Service
- Uganda People's Defence Force (deployed March 2025)
- Uganda (troops)
- Kenya (mediation)
SPLM/A-In Opposition and allied militias
- SPLA-IO (mainstream and Kit-Gwang factions)
- Nuer White Army
- SSOA defectors
Force sizes are estimates of personnel or fighters, usually from IISS, government statements or specialist reporting; irregular forces are especially hard to count. "(reported)" marks external support that the backer disputes or has not confirmed.
Background
South Sudan became independent in 2011. In December 2013 a power struggle between President Salva Kiir (Dinka) and Vice-President Riek Machar (Nuer) exploded into civil war that killed an estimated 400,000 people before the 2018 Revitalised Agreement (R-ARCSS) and a 2020 unity government. Key provisions, including unified security forces and elections, were never implemented.
On 3-4 March 2025 the Nuer White Army overran an army garrison in Nasir, Upper Nile; a UN helicopter evacuating troops was attacked. The government blamed the SPLM-IO, invited Ugandan troops to deploy, bombed opposition-held areas (including an MSF hospital at Old Fangak) and on 26 March placed Machar under house arrest. In September 2025 he was charged with treason and murder and put on trial.
In late December 2025 the SPLA-IO, joined by the Kit-Gwang faction and about 1,000 defectors, captured Waat, Pathai and Yuai in Jonglei. The army's 'Operation Enduring Peace' (25 January 2026) retook the northern Jonglei bases and Akobo (March), which the SPLA-IO recaptured in April. Commander Johnson Olony's calls to show 'no mercy' and for a separate Nuer state drew UN and HRW condemnation. Fighting also spread to Unity, Upper Nile and Eastern Equatoria, while Dinka-Nuer and other intercommunal raids (Abiemnom, Warrap, Jebel Iraq) killed hundreds.
By October 2026 the SPLM-IO itself has split into rival factions whose forces clashed near Leer; the government insists the country is 'not at war' and is preparing December elections that the opposition says cannot be credible. Spillover from Sudan's war (over 1.3 million arrivals, Sudanese troops crossing at Heglig) adds to the strain.
Recent developments
- 19 October 2026Machar's trial is adjourned to 23 October; proceedings have been repeatedly delayed. source ↗
- 15 October 2026SPLM-IO acting chair Oyet Nathaniel offers amnesty to fighters who left his command after factional clashes at Adok port near Leer on 13-14 October. source ↗
- 29 August 2026Attack on a cattle camp in Warrap State kills at least 49 and injures 33. source ↗
- 24 August 2026Two UN peacekeepers killed and seven injured in an ambush on a patrol heading to Pajut, Jonglei. source ↗
- 5 July 2026Rebels seize Walgak payam in Jonglei, reportedly killing 44 soldiers. source ↗
- 14 April 2026SPLA-IO recaptures Akobo from the SSPDF a month after the army took the town. source ↗
Timeline
- 15 December 2013Civil war begins in Juba between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar.
- 12 September 2018Revitalised peace agreement (R-ARCSS) signed; unity government formed in February 2020.
- 4 March 2025White Army militia overruns the army garrison in Nasir; a UN helicopter is attacked on 7 March.
- 26 March 2025Machar placed under house arrest; Uganda deploys troops at Juba's request; airstrikes hit opposition areas.
- 25 September 2025Machar's trial for treason, murder and crimes against humanity opens in Juba.
- 23 December 2025SPLA-IO and White Army launch a Jonglei offensive, taking Waat, Pathai and Yuai by 2 January.
- 25 January 2026SSPDF launches 'Operation Enduring Peace'; by 4 February it retakes the northern Jonglei bases.
- 1 March 2026Armed youth attack Abiemnom County (Ruweng), killing at least 178 people.
- 14 March 2026Army takes Akobo after ordering civilians and aid agencies out; SPLA-IO recaptures it on 14 April.
- 24 August 2026Two Ethiopian UN peacekeepers killed in an ambush on a UNMISS patrol near Pajut.
- 29 August 2026Raid on a cattle camp in Majak, Warrap State, kills 49.
- 13 October 2026Rival SPLM-IO factions clash near Leer, Unity State, as the movement splits over its acting leadership.
Casualties and displacement in detail
| Measure | Low | High | What the figure covers · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total killed (cumulative) | 1,854 | – | OHCHR figure for January-September 2025 only (conflict plus intercommunal violence); 2026 deaths are additional and uncounted. The 2013-2018 civil war is separately estimated at ~400,000 deaths (LSHTM, 2018). hrw.org ↗ |
| Combatants killed | – | – | Not published; the army claimed 46 SPLA-IO soldiers killed at Pajut (January 2026) and rebels claimed 44 soldiers killed at Walgak (July 2026). en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Civilians killed | 140 | – | ACLED/OCHA: 140+ civilians killed in Jonglei December 2025-early February 2026; HRW documented at least 58 killed by incendiary weapons in Nasir area in March 2025; 178 killed at Abiemnom (1 March 2026) and 49 at a Warrap cattle camp (29 August 2026). unocha.org ↗ |
| Wounded | 1,693 | – | OHCHR, January-September 2025 only. hrw.org ↗ |
| Deaths in the last 12 months | 540 | – | Sum of the largest documented 2026 incidents only (Jonglei >=200 to 23 January; Abiemnom 178; Jebel Iraq 70; Walgak 44; Warrap 49). No OHCHR/UNMISS 12-month total for October 2025-September 2026 was retrieved; the 2025 run-rate (1,854 in nine months) suggests the true figure exceeds 1,000. acleddata.com ↗ |
| Internally displaced | 1,900,000 | 2,000,000 | UNHCR: 1.9 million IDPs (October 2025); CFR: 'over two million'. OCHA: ~299,400 newly displaced by fighting since December 2025 (April 2026). unocha.org ↗ |
| Refugees abroad | 2,480,744 | 2,480,744 | South Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries as of July 2026 (aggregate of UNHCR country figures compiled on Wikipedia; treat as approximate). South Sudan itself hosts ~600,000 refugees and has received >1.36 million arrivals from Sudan since April 2023. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
Intensity classification: OHCHR counted at least 1,854 people killed in conflict and intercommunal violence in January-September 2025 (~200 a month). For 2026 only incident-level counts exist: ACLED recorded at least 200 deaths in Jonglei between 1 December 2025 and 23 January 2026, and single attacks in Ruweng (178), Jebel Iraq (70), Walgak (44) and Warrap (49) add several hundred more. The 12-month toll is therefore above 1,000 but not precisely known..
Countries affected
Frequently asked questions
Who is fighting in the South Sudan conflict (government vs SPLM/A-IO and allied militias)?
Government of South Sudan (South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), Agwelek forces (Gen. Johnson Olony), National Security Service, Uganda People's Defence Force (deployed March 2025)), supported by Uganda (troops), Kenya (mediation); against SPLM/A-In Opposition and allied militias (SPLA-IO (mainstream and Kit-Gwang factions), Nuer White Army, SSOA defectors).
How many people have been killed?
Estimates range from 1,854+ killed as of 15 October 2026. OHCHR figure for January-September 2025 only (conflict plus intercommunal violence); 2026 deaths are additional and uncounted. The 2013-2018 civil war is separately estimated at ~400,000 deaths (LSHTM, 2018). Civilian deaths are put at 140+. Figures come from the sources listed on this page and differ in method; see the caveats above.
Is the South Sudan conflict (government vs SPLM/A-IO and allied militias) still ongoing in 2026?
Status as of 19 October 2026: Active fighting — The 2018 peace deal between President Salva Kiir and his rival Riek Machar has unravelled since March 2025, when fighting in Nasir led to Machar's arrest and treason trial. The opposition SPLA-IO and allied Nuer 'White Army' militias launched an offensive in Jonglei in December 2025, the army responded with 'Operation Enduring Peace' and airstrikes, and by October 2026 the conflict is a patchwork of government offensives, militia raids and deadly intercommunal attacks, with elections nominally scheduled for 22 December 2026 and Machar's trial still under way.
When did it start?
The current phase began on 4 March 2025, but the underlying conflict dates back to 2013 — 1 year, 7 months ago.
Sources
- HRW World Report 2026 — South Sudan hrw.org
- ACLED — Violent escalation in Jonglei (Jan 2026) acleddata.com
- OCHA — South Sudan humanitarian update (April 2026) unocha.org
- CFR Global Conflict Tracker — South Sudan cfr.org
- Security Council Report — South Sudan (April 2026) securitycouncilreport.org
- Wikipedia — 2026 Jonglei offensive en.wikipedia.org
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Glostats. (2026). South Sudan conflict — Casualties, Forces & Timeline (2026). Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/conflicts/south-sudan-conflict/<a href="https://glostats.com/conflicts/south-sudan-conflict/">South Sudan conflict — Casualties, Forces & Timeline (2026)</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
This page summarises publicly available reporting and does not take sides. Casualty and force figures are estimates compiled on 19 October 2026; see each figure's source for its method and date. Page generated 2026-10-20. How this tracker works.