South Sudan — Persistent Conflict
South Sudan's civil war, beginning in 2013 between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar, has created one of Africa's worst protracted crises. Despite a 2018 peace agreement, violence continues. South Sudan has Africa's largest oil reserves south of Sudan, which are central to the conflict's political economy.
Dossier summary
Current conflict profile
South Sudan's civil war, beginning in 2013 between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar, has created one of Africa's worst protracted crises. Despite a 2018 peace agreement, violence continues. South Sudan has Africa's largest oil reserves south of Sudan, which are central to the conflict's political economy.
Persistence drivers
Why this conflict persists
The conflict persists because oil revenues — approximately USD 1.5bn/year — are captured by Kiir and Machar factions through parallel oil ministry structures, creating no incentive for genuine peace. Ethnic Dinka-Nuer rivalry provides mobilization framework, and regional neighbors use South Sudan as a proxy space.
Human and economic impact
Displacement, fatalities, and economic pressure
The live side tables for actors, displacement timeseries, economy rows, forecasts, events, and timeline are currently empty for this conflict, so this static dossier uses the verified inline conflict record.
Outlook
Risk and spillover assessment
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