UN Cuts Peacekeeping Force Amid Rising Tensions in South Sudan

The UN Security Council decided to reduce South Sudan's peacekeeping force from 17,000 to 12,000 troops. This decision aims to prevent further civil unrest in the nation. The 2018 peace agreement showed hope, but President Kiir recently placed Vice President Machar under house arrest, inciting new tensions.

The UN Security Council voted on Thursday to decrease the peacekeeping force in South Sudan. Originally at 17,000 troops, the force will now number 12,000, in a bid to prevent the resurgence of civil conflict in the troubled nation.

After gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan slid into a civil war largely driven by ethnic divisions. The conflict, which started in 2013, resulted in over 400,000 deaths before a peace agreement in 2018.

Recently, tensions have escalated again. President Salva Kiir placed Vice President Riek Machar under house arrest, accusing him of subversive activities, which has further destabilized the peace. The US and other nations express concern over these developments and advocate for maintaining peacekeeping forces capable of responding to any security challenge.