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South Sudan (News of The South) – South Sudan’s First Vice President Riek Machar is under house arrest. The arrest comes amid escalating political tensions and concerns about the stability of the country’s peace agreement.
Circumstances leading to the arrest evolve around rising political tensions between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those loyal to First Vice President Riek Machar. Recent military clashes between the military and the “White Army” in Nasir, Upper Nile State, have contributed to the heightened tensions. Machar has been implicated in these conflicts. The placing of Machar under house arrest is seen as a significant breach of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, which aimed to end the country’s long-standing civil war.
Latest and confined reportd in South Sudan are that security forces entered Machar’s residence, and disarmed his bodyguards. Riek Machar is currently under house arrest in Juba.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has called for restraint from all parties, urging them to uphold the peace agreement. The United States has called on President Salva Kiir to release Riek Machar. The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) has stated that the house arrest has put the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement in serious jeapordy. There is widespread concern that this action could lead to a return to widespread conflict.
The situation is highly volatile, and there’s a significant risk of further escalation. International pressure on South Sudan’s leaders is likely to increase, with calls for de-escalation and adherence to the peace agreement. The future of the 2018 peace agreement is uncertain, and there’s a possibility of a return to widespread violence which can result in further fracture of the nation.
The instability is also being exasperated by the effects of the civil war in sudan, this civil war has disrupted oil flow, and therefore, the south sudanese economy. Thus situation is likely to cause panic and instability in the region.
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