South Sudan VP Riek Machar Arrested, Peace Deal in Jeopardy

South Sudan’s fragile peace is under serious threat following the reported arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar, according to his political party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO).

Machar was detained late Wednesday night by the National Security Service, his acting press secretary, Puok Both Baluang confirmed.

The SPLM-IO claims that the defence minister and national security chief, accompanied by a heavily armed convoy, stormed Machar’s residence in Juba, disarmed his bodyguards, and presented an arrest warrant on vague charges. His wife, Interior Minister Angelina Teny, was reportedly detained alongside him.

The SPLM-IO has condemned the arrest as a blatant violation of the constitution and the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, which ended South Sudan’s brutal five-year civil war that left nearly 400,000 people dead.

“This act effectively collapses the peace agreement,” said SPLM-IO deputy leader Oyet Nathaniel Pierino in a Thursday press briefing.

He warned that the country is now at serious risk of returning to full-scale conflict, a concern echoed by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), which said South Sudan is on the brink of widespread war.

Heavy military presence has since been reported around Machar’s residence in the capital, heightening fears of renewed violence. Despite the escalating tensions, Pierino urged SPLM-IO supporters and the public to remain calm as diplomatic efforts continue.

UNMISS and international partners have raised an alarm over the unfolding situation. “Tonight, the country’s leaders stand on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict,” UNMISS said, warning that violations of the 2018 peace deal could “devastate not only South Sudan but the entire region.”

The US, UK, Germany, and Norway have responded by scaling down diplomatic presence in Juba. The US State Department urged President Salva Kiir to immediately release Machar, stating: “We urge President Kiir to reverse this action and prevent further escalation.”

Meanwhile, clashes between rival forces have reportedly erupted again in Nasir, a northern town in the oil-rich Upper Nile State.

Despite the mounting crisis, President Kiir told religious leaders on Wednesday that he would not return the country to war—a promise now in question as peace teeters on the edge.

By Agencies