South Sudan has detained Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol and military officials allied with Vice President Riek Machar. This event threatens existing peace agreements after renewed fighting in Nasir. Observers caution that if leadership does not address rising tensions, the country may return to war.
South Sudanese authorities have detained the petroleum minister and several senior military officials associated with First Vice President Riek Machar, according to Machar’s spokesperson. This development threatens a fragile peace agreement that concluded a protracted civil war. The arrests follow recent violent clashes in the strategic northern town of Nasir, highlighting ongoing tensions between national forces and the White Army militia, primarily composed of Nuer fighters, the same ethnic group as Machar.
This turmoil comes in the wake of escalating conflict in Nasir, where the White Army previously allied with Machar’s forces during the civil war against the Dinka troops loyal to President Salva Kiir. Among those arrested are Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol and Army Deputy Head Gabriel Doup Lam, while other officials supportive of Machar have been placed under house arrest, as revealed by spokesperson Puok Both Baluang.
Baluang emphasized that no clear justifications have been provided for the arrests. Meanwhile, South Sudanese military forces have been stationed outside Machar’s residence; however, he managed to reach his office on Wednesday morning. The South Sudanese government’s information minister, Michael Makuei, has yet to provide comments following requests from the media.
The civil war in South Sudan, which ignited shortly after the nation gained independence from Sudan, resulted in approximately 400,000 fatalities and displaced 2.5 million individuals. Although a peace agreement established in 2018 has largely decreased outright conflicts between opposing factions, instances of violence persist. Recently, the African Union and the United Nations peacekeeping forces in South Sudan have urged for the de-escalation of tensions in Nasir and warned against the risk of widespread hostilities.
Ter Manyang, the director of the Center for Peace and Advocacy in Juba, articulated concerns regarding the implications of these arrests in light of the ongoing violence, stating the likelihood of the country descending into war if leadership fails to manage the situation appropriately.
In summary, the recent arrests of South Sudan’s petroleum minister and military officials affiliated with First Vice President Riek Machar signify a precarious moment in the nation’s ongoing challenges. As armed confrontations resume in Nasir, fear of a return to widespread violence looms, prompting calls from various entities for leadership intervention to avert further conflict. The civil war’s legacy continues to influence the fragile peace process as the situation evolves.
Original Source: www.usnews.com
