Jibi MosesOctober 25, 2025
A claim made on social media platforms Facebook and WhatsApp that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan is closing down is false.
A Facebook user posted (archived) on the 14th of Oct 2025 that “The UNMISS is closing doors in South Sudan.”
The post that generated over 50 reactions, 30 comments and 5 shares was accompanied by an old cartoon picture drawn by cartoonist Adija Acuil (cartoon was drawn sending a different message apart from this). The post broke down in percentages how the UNMISS is closing in different field locations
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A similar message is also being forwarded and shared among closed social media groups.
Debunking the Claim:
Despite the fact the claim is making rounds on the internet through Facebook and some closed platforms, there is no mainstream media that has published the news; therefore, this made The ClarityDesk investigate the claim.
A keyword search on Google of the words ‘Is UNMISS closing its doors on South Sudan?’ returns results disputing the news.
The results (archived link) tell us they are not closing down in October 2025, but they have been forced to cut down by 15% due to global funding within the next seven months.
“This means UNMISS must close some bases, reduce civilian and uniformed peacekeepers, and cut operational spending,” according to Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, following a meeting with Martin Elia Lomuro, Minister of Cabinet Affairs of South Sudan in Juba.
On 16 October 2025, ReliefWeb, published the message from the Under-Secretary-General for United Nations Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and UNMISS’s commitment to keeping peace in South Sudan on his recent visit to Juba.
South Sudan is a fragile country. It is a country that is impacted massively by the conflict in neighbouring Sudan, by climate change, and the drastic reduction of humanitarian assistance,” said Mr. Lacroix.
Radio Tamazuj reported (archived link) on 22 October, 2025, that the acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Anita Kiki Gbeho, announced plans to close the UNMISS office there in Torit, Eastern Equatoria State.
Earlier in March 2025, the United Nations’ Security Council renewed the UNMISS mandate in the country by one more year.
Some sites that wrote about the topic are as seen here, here, here, and here.
Our Verdict:
The ClarityDesk finds a claim making rounds on social media that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan is closing down to be false. The mission has been forced to cut operations by 15% due to the global funding crisis. But according to the Peace Under-Secretary of the UN, South Sudan is still one of the areas that needs their presence and intervention.
The ClarityDesk
