South Sudan’s First Vice-President Riek Machar has been placed under house arrest, a move his party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM/IO), says has effectively nullified the 2018 peace agreement that ended the country’s five-year civil war.
An armed convoy led by senior security officials, including the defence minister, disarmed Machar’s bodyguards and detained him alongside his wife, Interior Minister Angelina Teny, at their residence in Juba late on Wednesday.
The United Nations, African Union, and neighbouring countries have expressed deep concern over the escalating tensions, with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) warning that the country risks slipping back into widespread conflict.
“The arrest and detention of H.E. Dr Riek Machar effectively brings the [peace] agreement to a collapse,” SPLM/IO deputy leader Oyet Nathaniel Pierino told journalists on Thursday.
While the government has yet to comment on Machar’s detention, President Salva Kiir told religious leaders on Wednesday that he would not return the country to war. However, tensions between the president and Machar have been simmering for weeks.
Machar’s arrest follows reports that barrel bombs containing highly flammable liquid were used in airstrikes against rebels previously linked to him. Meanwhile, the UN Commission on Human Rights has raised concerns over the deployment of Ugandan troops and tanks in South Sudan, warning of potential violations of the UN arms embargo and the growing involvement of foreign forces.
The situation in Juba remains tense, with a heavy military presence around Machar’s residence. Civil society leader Edmund Yakani told AFP, “There is a high chance of full-scale war, and it will be more deadly because of [the need] for revenge.”
The British and US embassies have scaled down their staff, while Norway and Germany have closed their operations in Juba. The US has urged President Kiir to release Machar, warning that further escalation could destabilise the entire region.
Diplomatic efforts are underway to prevent a return to war, with the African Union and regional bloc IGAD expected to send high-level delegations to Juba on Friday.
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