South Sudan Insists On Closure of UN Bases In Wau and Bentiu

By Debora Akur Chol, South Sudan

South Sudan has reiterated its demand for the closure of major United Nations peacekeeping bases in Wau and Bentiu, describing the move as a matter of national sovereignty as the UN mission carries out a mandated drawdown.

As thousands of peacekeepers are repatriated, Juba says it has agreed to the closure of seven smaller bases operated by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), but maintains its position on the strategically important sites in Wau and Bentiu.

“The government of South Sudan remains steadfast in its request for the closure of the UNMISS bases in Wau and Bentiu,” Foreign Affairs Minister Monday Semaya Kumba said while briefing diplomats in Juba on Saturday, citing concerns related to sovereignty and national security.

In a statement, the government also criticised UNMISS for what it described as a lack of prior consultation on a major contingency plan guiding the mission’s drawdown. Kumba said South Sudan had cooperated with the plan’s implementation in “good faith,” but added that the initial failure to consult “does not reflect the responsibilities of a host country.”

He said the issue had been raised directly with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

The bases in Wau, the capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal State, and Bentiu, the capital of Unity State, are among UNMISS’s largest and most logistically significant sites outside Juba. Both are located in areas that have experienced prolonged and intense conflict.

South Sudan says it has facilitated the troop reduction and rejects claims that it has obstructed the process. Kumba said that between November 28 and December 10, 2025, a total of 1,143 troops from Ghana, Nepal, Bangladesh and India were repatriated, with nearly 2,500 more expected to leave by early January 2026.

Addressing a recent incident involving a cancelled Nepalese rotation flight, Kumba blamed what he called UN “procedural irregularities” rather than government interference. He said the aircraft arrived with unauthorised personnel, but that the government still approved the departure of the original contingent. The flight later departed empty after UNMISS declined to proceed under those conditions.

To oversee the drawdown process, a joint ad hoc technical committee has been established, which the government described as constructive despite the ongoing disagreement over the Wau and Bentiu bases.

Kumba confirmed that Juba has accepted the closure of seven other UNMISS bases: Torit, Aweil, Yei, Akobo, Koch, Bunj and Pariang.

For her part, UNMISS spokesperson Priyanka Chowdhury told Radio Tamazuj on Sunday that, in response to a UN-wide financial crisis, the mission is required to cut its budget by 15 per cent over the next six months.

She said achieving the savings has required the closure and downsizing of some field offices and smaller bases, reductions in civilian and uniformed personnel, and cuts to operational spending.

While acknowledging the impact of the measures, Chowdhury said the mission remained committed to its mandate. “While these changes will affect UNMISS activities in support of South Sudan, we remain firmly committed to helping secure peace and security for the communities we serve,” she said.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan was established on July 8, 2011, following the country’s independence on July 9, 2011, under UN Security Council Resolution 1996. The mission’s mandate focuses on supporting stability, protecting civilians and helping build state institutions in the world’s newest nation.