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," the statement said.

"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 the then-Vice President Riek Machar, accusing him of plotting a coup.

Tensions

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 chairperson of the SPLM-IO, has intensified since December 2025 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.