Since December 2013, the nation of South Sudan has been embroiled in a bloody civil war. Tens of thousands of lives have been lost, and over 1.5 million people have been pushed from their homes. Today, the war continues, with political leaders profiting off of the ongoing violence.
Despite the presence of gross human rights violations, and leadership that refuses to engage constructively in productive peace processes, there has been little accountability for South Sudan’s leaders, both in government and in the opposition. While the U.S. and U.N. have threatened sanctions dozens of time, follow-through has been almost non-existent.
This timeline tracks this history of threats made against leaders in South Sudan by the international community and the U.S. government, including diplomats, special envoys, the President of the United States, and the United Nations. In addition, the timeline shows the few moments that threats have been followed through on, and a selection of instances of violence that demonstrate the cost of empty threats.