South Sudan's Vice President Detained Amid Rising Tensions

The arrest of Vice President Riek Machar escalates fears of a return to civil war in South Sudan, risking the stability of a peace agreement signed in 2018.

South Sudan is facing renewed instability following the arrest of Vice President Riek Machar, a significant political figure in the world's youngest nation. Reports indicate that Machar was apprehended by the National Security Service late Wednesday, as tensions between him and President Salva Kiir have increasingly intensified. His party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement In Opposition, disclosed that armed security officials stormed Machar's residence, disarmed his security team, and presented an unspecified arrest warrant.

The current whereabouts of Machar remained unclear as of Thursday, and both government and opposition representatives were unavailable for immediate comments. Reath Muoch Tang, a senior member of Machar's party, condemned the arrest as a "blatant violation of the Constitution" and highlighted concerns about the undermining of rule of law, which could further threaten the already precarious stability of the nation.

The arrest poses a significant threat to the fragile peace deal established in 2018, which successfully ended a brutal five-year civil conflict resulting in an estimated 400,000 fatalities. In response to the troubling developments, the U.S. State Department expressed alarm over the situation and urged President Kiir to reverse the decision, signaling its commitment to preserving peace in the region amidst escalating tensions.