South Sudan’s army surrounded Vice President Riek Machar’s home amid tensions following the arrest of his allies after an armed faction took an army base. Machar warns of risks to the 2018 peace deal with President Kiir. Detained figures include the deputy army chief and Petroleum Minister. International calls for de-escalation continue as elections remain stalled.
On Wednesday, South Sudanese soldiers surrounded the residence of Vice President Riek Machar in Juba, following the arrest of several of his allies. This action came after an armed faction linked to Machar took control of an army base in northern South Sudan, escalating tension in the region.
Machar has previously warned that the dismissal of some of his key allies threatened the fragile 2018 peace deal with President Salva Kiir. This agreement had ended a devastating five-year civil war that resulted in over 400,000 deaths.
Deputy army chief Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, a supporter of Machar, was detained on Tuesday amid the northern conflict. Additionally, Machar’s ally and Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol, along with his bodyguards and family, were arrested on Wednesday without provided reasons.
While Machar and his SPLM-IO party have refrained from commenting on the recent clashes, Water Minister Pal Mai Deng, acting as the party’s spokesperson, warned that Lam’s arrest jeopardizes the existing peace agreement.
Last week, Western diplomats urged the South Sudanese leaders to mitigate the rising tensions. Ter Manyang Gatwich, Executive Director at the Center for Peace and Advocacy, has called for the immediate release of those detained in an effort to prevent the situation from escalating into full-scale war.
The implementation of the 2018 peace agreement in South Sudan remains incomplete, and elections that were originally planned for last year have been delayed by two years due to financial constraints.
The situation in South Sudan escalated as troops surrounded Vice President Riek Machar’s home following the arrests of his allies, particularly in light of recent armed confrontations. The ongoing threat to the 2018 peace agreement calls for urgent dialogue amid calls from international figures to de-escalate tensions. Failure to address these issues could lead to a resurgence of large-scale violence in a country that is still recovering from extensive civil conflict.
Original Source: apnews.com
