The U.N. Security Council voted Thursday to reduce the ceiling for its peacekeeping force in South Sudan from 17,000 to 12,000 troops, with a mandate aimed at preventing a return to civil war. The vote extended the force’s mandate until April 30, 2027, according to the resolution presented by the United States.
The council approved the U.S.-drafted resolution 13-0, with Russia and China abstaining. U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz told the council the resolution seeks to get the force “back to basics” by focusing on keeping the peace, protecting civilians and supporting access to humanitarian aid.
Waltz argued that the mission should remain structured for near-term protection and assistance rather than long-term assumptions about political stability in the country. He said the United States is concerned that South Sudan’s government is “exploiting international support and obstructing those that are genuinely trying to help.”
As an example, Waltz cited U.N. reporting that between October and March the peacekeeping force recorded more than 480 incidents where peacekeepers were blocked, humanitarian access was denied, repatriation flights were obstructed, bases were forced to close, and “millions of dollars were lost and wasted.” He said the United States is serious when it says far-flung U.N. peacekeeping missions are meant to be temporary efforts to help governments “navigate peace and security crises.”
The Security Council’s vote comes against a backdrop of how South Sudan’s peace process has been shaken since the country gained independence in 2011 following a long conflict. The country slid into civil war in December 2013, when forces loyal to Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, fought forces loyal to Riek Machar, an ethnic Nuer.
The war killed more than 400,000 people, according to the U.N. record cited by the council discussion, and ended with a peace agreement in 2018 that created a national unity government with Kiir as president and Machar as vice president. The agreement has since frayed, and Machar’s removal from government roles coincided with a sharp increase in violence and a breakdown of the 2018 peace deal.
Waltz told the council that Kiir’s government put Machar under house arrest in March 2025 and accused him of subversive activities, and that Machar now faces treason charges. He also said the political changes and the resulting security deterioration raise concern over whether international assistance is being used to support stabilization and humanitarian access.
Russia’s deputy ambassador, Anna Evstigneeva, argued against lowering the force ceiling, contending the mission must retain resources to handle uncertainty. She said the mission “must be ready for any scenario and security challenges,” and that it “should have a sufficient level of resources for that.”
Even as the Security Council adjusted the troop ceiling, the council discussion indicated that a long-delayed presidential election is still scheduled for December.