US Cuts Put UN Peacekeeping in South Sudan, DRC Under Strain

By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu

The United Nations has warned that critical peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could be severely undermined after the United States slashed billions of dollars in foreign aid.

Speaking in New York on Tuesday, a UN peacekeeping spokesperson said operations were already facing a liquidity crisis, and the latest cuts would deepen the strain. “These missions are vital for the protection of civilians. Without the necessary resources, our capacity to safeguard communities in conflict zones will be significantly reduced,” the spokesperson cautioned.

The US, which provides 27% of the UN’s $5.6 billion peacekeeping budget, has cancelled $4.9 billion in foreign assistance, including roughly $800 million earmarked for peacekeeping in 2024 and 2025. The Trump administration has also proposed eliminating all US funding for peacekeeping by 2026, citing inefficiency, abuse, and corruption in several operations.

In a note to Congress, the White House accused some missions of mismanagement and claimed that billions of dollars in contracts tied to operations in the DRC and Central African Republic were tainted by corruption. It described the cuts as “a first step toward meaningful reform.”

There are currently 11 UN peacekeeping operations worldwide. The UN has appealed to member states to meet their funding commitments “in full and on time” to prevent missions from scaling back.

Analysts say South Sudan and eastern Congo—where UN troops help protect millions of civilians from militia violence—would be among the most vulnerable to reductions, raising fears of heightened insecurity if operations are forced to shrink.