The United Nations Security Council on Thursday approved a U.S.-drafted resolution that cuts the maximum authorized troop level for the peacekeeping mission in South Sudan by nearly 30 percent, a move the Biden administration says will force the mission to refocus on core tasks at a time of escalating violence and political instability in the world’s newest nation.
The vote was 13–0 with two abstentions, by Russia and China. The resolution extends the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) until April 30, 2027, and reduces the troop ceiling from 17,000 to 12,000. No changes were made to the mission’s police component.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz told the Security Council that the reduction was intended to get the mission “back to basics — keeping the peace, protecting civilians and supporting access to humanitarian aid.” He voiced concern that President Salva Kiir’s government is “exploiting international support and obstructing those that are genuinely trying to help.”
Waltz cited a tally of more than 480 incidents between October and March in which peacekeepers were blocked, humanitarian access was denied, repatriation flights were obstructed, and bases were forced to close. “Millions of dollars were lost and wasted,” he said.
Russia, which abstained, argued that the mission should retain its full authorized strength. Deputy Ambassador Anna Evstigneeva said the force “must be ready for any scenario and security challenges” and should have “a sufficient level of resources for that.” China did not publicly explain its abstention.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 with substantial oil reserves and high international expectations. Within two years, the country was engulfed in a civil war fought largely along ethnic lines between forces loyal to Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and those backing Riek Machar, an ethnic Nuer. The war killed more than 400,000 people and drove millions from their homes before a peace agreement was signed in 2018. That deal created a national unity government with Kiir as president and Machar as vice president.
The arrangement unravelled in March 2025 when Kiir placed Machar under house arrest on what his government described as suspicion of subversive activities. Machar is now facing treason charges. Since his removal, violence has increased sharply and the 2018 accord has largely broken down, though a long-delayed presidential election remains scheduled for December.
Waltz warned that the United States is serious when it says U.N. peacekeeping missions are meant to be temporary. The missions, he said, are designed to help governments “navigate peace and security crises,” not to become permanent fixtures. The reduction in the authorized troop ceiling does not necessarily mean that 5,000 troops will be withdrawn immediately — the U.N. will now determine how to adjust its deployment within the new ceiling.
The Security Council’s decision marks the first significant revision of UNMISS’s authorized size since the 2018 peace agreement. It comes as the U.S. has pushed for reductions in several peacekeeping operations, arguing that host governments must shoulder greater responsibility for their own security and that the U.N. should focus its resources on missions with a credible path to exit.