Evaluation of the Impact of UNMISS Interventions in South Sudan: Operational Challenges and Security Collaboration (2022-2024)

Abstract

United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) continues to play an important role in addressing the ongoing challenges in South Sudan. Between January and March 2024, there were 240 incidents affecting 913 civilians, resulting in 468 deaths, 328 injuries, and numerous kidnappings and cases of sexual violence. In addition to helping to deal with these problems, UNMISS has also been actively involved in the preparation of the upcoming general elections in South Sudan, in December 2024. The mission provides technical assistance, voter education, and support for dialogue among political stakeholders to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections. The approach used in this research is a qualitative approach, and by using Peacebuilding Theory according to John Galtung. The results show that although UNMISS has made various efforts in preventing violence against civilians and facilitating preparations for the general elections, significant challenges still remain. UNMISS has succeeded in reducing incidents of violence in several regions by strengthening the presence of peacekeepers and mediating conflicts between communities. However, these interventions are often limited by operational issues, such as lack of access to remote conflict-torn areas and a lack of resources.