UN chief appoints new force commander for mission in South Sudan

​​​​​HAMILTON, Canada

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Maj. Gen. Junhui Wu of China as the new force commander for the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), according to a statement Thursday.

Junhui succeeds Lieut. Gen. Mohan Subramanian, whom Guterres "is grateful for his effective leadership as UNMISS Force Commander," said the statement.

"Major General Wu brings to this position 40 years of leadership and operational experience in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and in United Nations peacekeeping," it said.

South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, gained independence in July 2011 but descended into civil war in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir Mayardit dismissed then-Vice President Riek Machar, accusing him of plotting a coup.

Despite the 2018 peace agreement and the formation of a transitional unity government, clashes and political tensions have persisted.

Fighting between the SSPDF and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO), led by Oyet Nathaniel, deputy chair of the SPLM-IO, has intensified since December in northern Jonglei.

Tensions escalated in 2025, exposing deep divisions within the transitional government formed under the 2018 peace deal. Clashes were first reported in January in Western Equatoria State before spreading north.

Machar has been under house arrest since March 2025 and is facing trial.