South Sudan

Is South Sudan safe to visit?

No. South Sudan scores weakly on every factor we measure, not only conflict. The US State Department rates it Level 4 (do not travel), and the UK advises against all travel because of armed violence and crime. The 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary ranks it 158th of 163 countries, below Somalia (153rd) and Yemen (156th).

We score South Sudan 25, below Somalia at 26 and above Haiti at 15. The figures behind it are thin: the last national homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary is from 2012, the newer one is a WHO model, and road deaths are a WHO estimateWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary, so confidence is low. But every source points the same way.

A peace deal coming apart

A five-year civil war that ended with a 2018 peace deal killed nearly 400,000 people. That deal is now unravelling. Riek Machar, the opposition leader who became first vice-president under the agreement, was removed in September 2025 and is under house arrest in Juba while on trial. A UN inquiry has found that South Sudan's leaders are "systematically dismantling" the peace agreement.

Fighting between the army and forces aligned with Machar's SPLM-IO has spread across Jonglei and Upper Nile. In January 2026 the army ordered civilians and UN staff to leave three Jonglei counties ahead of an offensive, the deputy army chief was filmed telling troops to "spare no one", and the UN said more than 180,000 people had fled. On 1 March 2026 a raid on a village in Abiemnom county, Ruweng, killed at least 169 people, including 90 civilians, according to a local official quoted by AP. Machar's group denied involvement.

Cattle raiding adds another layer of violence, and weapons are widely held. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says political tensions are high and Juba airport could close at short notice if things get worse.

Crime in Juba and on the roads

The US describes carjackings, shootings, ambushes, assaults, armed robbery and kidnapping as common, including in Juba, and says foreigners have been raped and robbed. Its own diplomats are under a strict curfew and travel in armoured vehicles. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary adds drive-by robberies by men on motorbikes and calls South Sudan one of the most dangerous places in the world for aid workers.

Roads are the second big killer. WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 23.3 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, higher than Somalia or Uganda, and its 2019 estimate was 36.7. Few roads are paved, there is almost no street lighting, and many vehicles drive at night without lights. The Juba–Nimule highway to Uganda, the main supply route, sees both armed attacks and frequent crashes. Soldiers and armed men run checkpoints around Juba after dark, demand money and abuse people, especially women.

Health, Ebola and floods

Health is the weakest factor after conflict. Malaria risk is high everywhere, cholera is circulating, yellow fever vaccination is compulsory, and mpox is a listed risk. Health facilities are extremely limited, there is no public emergency medical number, and serious cases go to Nairobi or Kampala, though rainy-season weather can keep evacuation flights grounded for hours.

The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has reached areas near the South Sudan border. WHO had not reported a confirmed case in South Sudan by early October 2026, but it names the country as a particular concern for imported cases, and US authorities screen travellers arriving from it.

From April to November most roads outside Juba become impassable, and floods can cut off whole states, especially Unity, Warrap, Jonglei and Upper Nile.

If you go despite the advice

• Work through an organisation with a security manager, and do not travel after dark.
• Never use boda-bodas or minibuses; the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary calls them extremely unsafe.
• Carry your yellow fever certificate, visa and any work permit, plus a colour copy of your passport.
• Register with the police if you stay five days or more.
• Do not photograph government buildings, bridges, airports or petrol stations.
• Bring clean US dollar notes and evacuation insurance that covers Nairobi or Kampala.

How we scored it

Health (8) and conflict (7) are the weakest factors. Natural hazards (30), petty crime (30), violent crime (35) and roads (38) are all low; the road score uses WHO's 2021 estimate of 23.3 deaths per 100,000. The weighted average of 25 is below the conflict cap of 42 and is the final score.