The SPLM-IO party in South Sudan has paused its engagement in a critical part of the 2018 peace deal due to deteriorating relations between Riek Machar and Salva Kiir. Tensions surged after government forces detained several SPLM-IO officials amid accusations of connections with the White Army militia. Fighting has displaced thousands, raising fears of renewed civil war and ethnic violence, worsened by regional conflicts, particularly in neighboring Sudan.
A significant political development occurred in South Sudan where the SPLM-IO party announced it would temporarily cease its involvement in a crucial aspect of the 2018 peace agreement. This decision comes as a result of deteriorating relations between SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir, largely due to recent violent clashes and arrests involving SPLM-IO officials.
The 2018 peace agreement was instrumental in ending a prolonged conflict between Kiir’s and Machar’s forces, with Machar serving as the First Vice President leading SPLM-IO. Tensions escalated this month when several SPLM-IO members, including the petroleum minister, were detained by government forces following violent incidents involving the White Army militia in Nasir, situated near the Ethiopian border.
The South Sudanese government accuses SPLM-IO of having connections with the White Army, composed primarily of Nuer ethnic fighters. Nonetheless, the SPLM-IO denies these allegations. In response to the detentions, SPLM-IO deputy chairman Oyet Nathaniel Pierino stated that they would halt participation in security arrangements related to the peace deal until the detained officials are freed. He claimed that “the ongoing political witch-hunts continue to threaten the very essence and the existence of the (peace deal).”
The current fighting in Upper Nile state has resulted in significant displacement, with 50,000 individuals affected since late February, and many seeking refuge in Ethiopia. Additionally, UN peacekeeping chief Nicholas Haysom expressed worries that South Sudan is on the verge of slipping back into civil war, particularly amid rampant hate speech and misinformation inflaming ethnic tensions.
Analysts indicate that the ongoing conflict in neighboring Sudan has contributed to the collapse of South Sudan’s peace process. With the suspension of oil revenues and increased armament flows across the border, tensions are rising. Alan Boswell from the International Crisis Group noted, “Already, we are seeing the initial stages of spillover fighting in Upper Nile from the Sudan war,” highlighting concerns that unrest may also spread to Juba, the capital.
The SPLM-IO’s withdrawal from aspects of the peace process highlights the fragile political climate in South Sudan. The detainment of key officials has exacerbated tensions between Machar and Kiir, raising fears of renewed conflict. As South Sudan faces both internal challenges and external pressures from regional conflicts, the potential for violence and ethnic strife looms larger, warning of the instability that could threaten the peace achieved in 2018.
Original Source: www.usnews.com
