The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan on Friday expressed concern regarding the human cost associated with the resumption of the armed conflict in the country, following the discovery of human remains in Jonglei State during road works.

The chair of the UN Commission, Yasmin Sooka, said:

The discovery of human remains in a conflict-affected area is always a matter of serious concern… The possibility that victims may be buried in unmarked sites points to an even more disturbing reality, one in which the full extent of suffering is being hidden, and potentially where unlawful killings or enforced disappearances have not been accounted for.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths and the burial of the discovered bodies remain unknown, but preliminary information indicates that the remains may belong to combatants killed during earlier clashes. The UN commission also noted that the burial sites could contain the bodies of civilians killed during previous fighting in circumstances that may amount to violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

The Commission called on authorities to conduct effective and impartial investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deaths, identify the bodies, and hold accountable all those responsible, in compliance with states’ obligation to protect life and to investigate suspicious deaths under the UN Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary, and Summary Executions. It also emphasized the necessity to preserve the discovered sites to ensure appropriate forensic examination, in line with the UN’s Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death. For this purpose, the Commission called on authorities to follow the procedures required under international law and to facilitate access for competent investigative bodies and international experts when required.

The UN Commission’s report came amid renewed violence in South Sudan, marked by intense fighting between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO)’s members, which violated the peace deal active since 2018. In October 2025, the UN warned of a growing risk of renewed conflict in South Sudan due to repeated armed altercations and political uprisings in the country. Additionally, the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan warned that the 2018 Revitalized Peace agreement has been systematically undermined by belligerent forces.

The armed conflict in South Sudan has resulted in serious human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests of civilians, abductions, and sexual violence against women and girls, in addition to plunging the country into a humanitarian crisis. Furthermore, the escalating violence displaced nearly 280,000 people, forcing them to flee their homes and live without access to food or vital services, including health care.