South Sudan

Since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, the new nation of South Sudan has experienced civil war and mass atrocities against civilians, including widespread sexual violence, murder, and forced displacement. Multiple attempts at peace agreements have been made, and largely stalled. These delays contribute to conflict and violence across the country—violence which sparked warnings of genocide in 2016. Between 2013 and 2018, over 400,000 people were killed as a result of the war. In March 2017, the United Nations Human Rights Commision determined that ethnic cleansing was occurring. The civil war has formally ended, but in 2020 there was an increase in both intercommunal and politically motivated conflicts. Explore the history behind the ethnic conflict and the current risks of mass atrocities that civilians face.