South Sudan: African Union steps in to salvage peace

A delegation from the African Union has landed in Juba, South Sudan for urgent peace talks as the country teeters on the brink of civil war.

As reported by Africa News on April 2nd, the talks come in the wake of First Vice President Riek Machar being placed under house arrest.

Upon his arrest the African Union called for the immediate release of the First Vice President.

The governing SPLM-IO party, led by President Salva Kiir has been accused of acting “unconstitutionally” after storming the house of Machar and placing him under arrest.

Despite being in government together, the two men are long-time adversaries.

Elections were due to be held every few years since the end of the civil war in 2018, however Kiir has repeatedly delayed holding them.

Elections were originally supposed to be held in February 2023 but were postponed until December 2024 and then further postponed until 2026, leading to the current political crisis.

South Sudan is the world’s youngest country after only gaining its independence from its northern neighbour, Sudan, in 2011.
It was hoped that the oil rich and fledgling democratic South Sudan would be a success story in the Sahel however by 2013 a civil war – led by the opposing forces of Kiir and Maachar – had devastated the country until a government of “national unity” was agreed between the two men in 2018.

Now, the two men risk plunging the country back into civil war as conflicts in the northeastern Upper Nile State risk spreading into further regions across the country.

Therefore, the African Union delegation arrives in South Sudan amidst tense circumstances however it is hoped that their experience will be able to help alleviate tensions.

It includes members of the so called “Council of the Wise” including the former Burundian President and a former Kenyan judge.
The delegation has been welcomed by Machar’s SPLM-IO party.

Africa News, Maghrebi