Riek Machar, a key figure in South Sudan’s political landscape and a historical rival to President Salva Kiir, is now under house arrest following a raid by armed security forces at his residence in Juba. The Sudan People's Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM/IO) reported that security officials, including the defence minister, disarmed Machar's bodyguards during this raid. According to Reath Muoch Tang, chairman of the party’s foreign relations committee, although officially under house arrest, security forces initially attempted to take Machar into custody.
South Sudan's Political Tensions Rise: VP Machar Under House Arrest
South Sudan's Political Tensions Rise: VP Machar Under House Arrest
In a shocking turn of events, South Sudan's First Vice-President Riek Machar has been placed under house arrest amid rising political tensions.
The United Nations has expressed grave concerns regarding the potential for renewed civil conflict in South Sudan, highlighting a deterioration in relations between the vice-president and the president. Since a peace deal was struck in August 2018, which aimed to resolve ongoing conflicts, the political situation remains fragile, as tensions have resurfaced, marked by ethnic strife and sporadic violence. The SPLM/IO also disclosed that Machar's wife, Angelina Teny, the country's interior minister, was detained during the raid. The party decried the actions taken against Machar as a violation of constitutional rights and the Revitalized Peace Agreement, which threatens to destabilize the nation once again.
In response to these developments, the UN mission warned that South Sudan could lose the stability established over the last seven years should the conflict reignite. The situation is compounded by escalating clashes between rival forces in Nasir, a town located in the oil-rich Upper Nile State. As tensions mount, the British and US embassies have urged their citizens to evacuate, and other countries, including Norway and Germany, have suspended their operations in the capital, Juba. The ramifications of Machar's house arrest and the potential collapse of peace could have widespread consequences not just for South Sudan, but for the entire region.
In response to these developments, the UN mission warned that South Sudan could lose the stability established over the last seven years should the conflict reignite. The situation is compounded by escalating clashes between rival forces in Nasir, a town located in the oil-rich Upper Nile State. As tensions mount, the British and US embassies have urged their citizens to evacuate, and other countries, including Norway and Germany, have suspended their operations in the capital, Juba. The ramifications of Machar's house arrest and the potential collapse of peace could have widespread consequences not just for South Sudan, but for the entire region.
