UN votes to cut the peacekeeping force in South Sudan from 17,000 to 12,000

The UN Security Council voted on Thursday (April 30, 2026) to reduce the ceiling for the peacekeeping force in conflict-torn South Sudan from 17,000 to 12,000 troops with a mandate to prevent a return to civil war in the world’s newest nation.

The vote on the U.S.-drafted resolution was 13-0 with Russia and China abstaining. It extends the mandate of the force until April 30, 2027.