Machar placed under house arrest as tension rise in South Sudan

By Newsflash Team

South Sudan’s First Vice-President, Riek Machar, a longstanding political rival of President Salva Kiir, has been placed under house arrest, his party announced.

On Wednesday night, an armed convoy led by senior security officials, including the defense minister, entered Machar’s residence in Juba. His bodyguards were disarmed, effectively restricting his movement, according to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM/IO).

“Dr. Machar is technically under house arrest, though security personnel initially attempted to remove him from his home,” said Reath Muoch Tang, head of the party’s foreign relations committee. The government has yet to issue a statement on the matter.

Fears of renewed civil war

The United Nations has warned that South Sudan is at risk of relapsing into civil war due to the growing tensions between Machar and President Kiir. Despite signing a peace agreement in August 2018 to end a five-year conflict that claimed nearly 400,000 lives, their relationship has steadily deteriorated.

Not the first time Machar has been detained

This is not the first time Machar has been placed under detention. In 2016, following the collapse of a fragile peace deal, he fled Juba amid renewed fighting and was later detained under house arrest in South Africa for nearly two years. His detention was part of efforts by regional leaders to prevent further instability in South Sudan.

Machar was eventually released in 2018, allowing him to participate in the negotiations that led to the revitalized peace agreement. However, tensions between him and President Kiir have persisted, with periodic clashes between their respective forces. His latest detention raises concerns that the country is once again on the brink of widespread conflict.

Machar’s wife also detained

The SPLM/IO also revealed that Machar’s wife, Interior Minister Angelina Teny, was detained alongside him.

“An arrest warrant was issued against him under unclear circumstances,” Tang stated, condemning the move as a “direct violation of the constitution and the Revitalized Peace Agreement.” He warned that detaining the vice president without due process could destabilize the country and undermine the rule of law.

UN warns of escalation

The UN mission in South Sudan expressed concern that the country risked losing the progress made since the 2018 peace deal.

“The country’s leadership stands at a critical juncture, with the risk of renewed war looming,” the mission said in a statement. It also warned that violations of the peace deal could have devastating consequences for both South Sudan and the broader region.

Foreign embassies scale down operations

Amid escalating tensions, the British and US embassies have reduced their diplomatic staff and advised their citizens to leave. Meanwhile, Norway and Germany have shut down their embassies in Juba.

Renewed clashes in Upper Nile State

The situation remains volatile, with reports of fresh clashes between forces loyal to Machar and Kiir in Nasir, a northern town in the oil-rich Upper Nile State.