South Sudan Peace Agreement at Risk as Machar Allies Detained

South Sudan’s Vice President has been placed under house arrest with the country’s Water Minister warning the detention puts “the entire peace agreement at risk.”

According to the Independent, the military encirclement of Vice President Riek Machar’s residence on 5 March in the capital Juba follows the arrest of several of his allies accused of overrunning an army base in the country’s north.

Deputy Army Chief General Gabriel Duop Lam, who is loyal to Machar, was detained on March 4th for his alleged involvement in the northern fighting.

The following day, authorities arrested Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol, another Machar ally, along with his family. The specific reasons for these arrests remain unclear.

Deng’s warning carries particular weight given South Sudan’s recent history.

The country’s previous civil war, which ended with the 2018 peace agreement between Machar and President Salva Kiir, resulted in approximately 400,000 deaths during its five-year duration.

The Independent