South Sudan’s fragile peace process has been plunged into crisis following the dramatic arrest of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, a prominent opposition leader and key signatory to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has called for restraint and an urgent recommitment to peace, warning that the country is at risk of sliding back into civil war.
According to a statement from Reath Muoch Tang, head of foreign relations for Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), a convoy of “20 heavily armed vehicles” stormed Machar’s residence in the capital Juba late Wednesday night.
“We strongly condemn the unconstitutional actions taken today by the Minister of Defense and the Chief of National Security, who, alongside more than 20 heavily armed vehicles, forcefully entered the residence of the First Vice President,” the statement read.
“His bodyguards were disarmed, and an arrest warrant was delivered to him under unclear charges. Attempts are currently being made to relocate him,” it added.
This arrest marks a dramatic escalation in a conflict that has been brewing for weeks, as the power-sharing arrangement between President Salva Kiir and Machar continues to deteriorate. The collapse of trust between the two leaders threatens to unravel the Revitalized Peace Agreement, which ended a brutal five-year civil war (2013–2018) that claimed the lives of an estimated 400,000 people.
UNMISS has urged all parties to immediately recommit to peace and avoid actions that could plunge South Sudan back into war.
“Tonight, the country’s leaders stand on the brink of either relapsing into widespread conflict or advancing towards peace, recovery, and democracy,” said Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS. “Unilateral amendments to the agreement that jeopardize the hard-won gains of the past seven years risk pushing the country back into a state of war.”
UNMISS emphasized that the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement remains the only viable framework for resolving disputes and called on South Sudan’s leaders to “strictly adhere to the ceasefire, resolve grievances through dialogue, and reconvene as a truly unified government.”
In the past 24 hours, clashes have been reported between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) in Rejaf, south of Juba, and Wunaliet, west of the capital. Additionally, UNMISS reported volatile conditions in Upper Nile State, with heavy mobilization and aerial bombardments, allegedly using incendiary weapons, resulting in civilian casualties.
UNMISS, alongside regional actors such as the African Union, IGAD, RJMEC, and the Troika, has launched diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.
“We encourage the President and First Vice President to lead efforts to prevent further military confrontation and restore calm by meeting to resolve differences,” said Mr. Haysom. “A joint public statement of commitment to peace will prove that their priority is to put the interests of their people ahead of their own and prevent a return to widespread conflict that would devastate not only South Sudan but the entire region.”
The situation has raised alarm both domestically and internationally. Tensions between President Kiir and Machar—longtime rivals during South Sudan’s struggle for independence and later in its civil war—have intensified in recent weeks, particularly following Uganda’s military deployment and the arrests of opposition figures.
Machar had recently accused Uganda of interfering in South Sudanese affairs and warned that violations of the peace agreement could lead to its collapse. Uganda maintains that its deployment is aimed at protecting regional stability.
