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Tensions in South Sudan surged late Wednesday, March 26, 2025 after security forces detained First Vice President Riek Machar in Juba, disarming his bodyguards and taking him into custody. His wife, Interior Minister Angelina Teny, was also arrested in the operation, triggering fears of renewed conflict in the nation.
Machar’s party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO), swiftly condemned the arrest, declaring it a violation of the 2018 peace agreement. The accord, signed between Machar and President Salva Kiir, had ended five years of civil war but now stands on the brink of collapse.
“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 warned.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) echoed concerns, cautioning that the country risked losing “hard-won gains” and teetered “on the brink of relapsing into widespread war.”
South Sudan’s government, however, defended the detention, accusing Machar of inciting rebellion. Information Minister Michael Makuei claimed Machar had been mobilizing supporters to prevent upcoming elections.
“Machar and his anti-peace colleagues of the SPLM/A-IO, who are under arrest, will be investigated and brought to book accordingly,” Makuei stated.
Machar’s allies rejected the accusations, calling the move a political crackdown. Reath Muoch Tang, chairman of the SPLM/IO’s foreign relations committee, denounced the arrest as a “blatant violation of the constitution and the Revitalized Peace Agreement.”
Juba saw a surge in military presence around Machar’s residence, fueling fears of escalating violence. Civil society leader Edmund Yakani warned of a potential return to war, saying, “There is a high chance of full-scale conflict, and it will be more deadly and violent because of the need for revenge.”
International actors responded swiftly. The United States called for Machar’s immediate release, while the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) initiated diplomatic efforts. Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga arrived in Juba on Friday after consultations with regional leaders, including Kenyan President William Ruto and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
The crisis deepened as reports surfaced of clashes between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar in the northern town of Nasir in the oil-rich Upper Nile State. Several of Machar’s allies, including the petroleum minister and the deputy army chief, were also arrested.
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan raised concerns over Uganda deploying military tanks and troops into the country at Kiir’s request. The commission warned that such a move could violate the UN arms embargo and escalate regional instability.
With embassies scaling down operations and foreign nationals urged to evacuate, fears of another devastating war mount. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the situation as “darkly reminiscent of the 2013 and 2016 civil wars,” which claimed an estimated 400,000 lives.
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