South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011. A civil war began in 2013, when a rift between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and the vice president he dismissed, Riek Machar, triggered fighting among their supporters and divided the country along ethnic lines. Elections have been delayed since a peace agreement was reached in 2018; elites preside over an uneasy power-sharing arrangement. The country suffers from rampant corruption and dire economic circumstances. Press freedom and civil society are restricted, and insecurity has persisted since the end of the war.

• In May, peace talks began in Nairobi, Kenya, between representatives of South Sudan’s transitional government and hold-out groups that did not sign the 2018 peace deal. Separately, in September the parliament approved two transitional justice laws, which aimed to establish a trust and reconciliation commission and a reparations authority. It did not create a third body envisioned by the 2018 peace deal (and an earlier 2015 peace deal), a court that would cooperate with the African Union to adjudicate crimes committed during the war.
• In September, the transitional government announced that elections set for December would be postponed two years, to December 2026. The head of the UN Mission in South Sudan urged the government to work toward key benchmarks that would help facilitate elections, including preparatory work for voter registration, and developing a code of conduct between political parties, civil society, and the media.
• In July, lawmakers passed the controversial National Security Act 2014 (Amendment) Bill 2024, which gives the country’s security agency the right to arrest suspected criminals without a warrant.
• In June, civil servants and other residents in Bor staged a protest against the rising cost of living. National Security Service (NSS) agents arrested Abraham Aleu Anyieth, a civil servant and a photographer with the state-run South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), reportedly for taking part in the protest. Additionally, Bol Deng Bol, executive director of the INTREPID South Sudan civil society group and the chairperson of the Jonglei Civil Society Network (JCSN), fled the country after reportedly being accused of organizing a strike in connection with the protest; authorities also closed the INTREPID office. Bol was later pardoned by the Jonglei State governor and returned to the country.
• In March, the former mayor of Juba, Kalisto Ladu, was arbitrarily arrested, prompting concern from local leaders, European diplomats, the US embassy, and Amnesty International. He was released in September.

This report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2025 due to ongoing budget constraints. Freedom in the World is entirely funded by nongovernmental sources such as private foundations, corporations, and individuals like you. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.

For additional background information, see last year’s full report.