South Sudan’s First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, and his wife, Angelina Teny, have been placed under house arrest, multiple sources within Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) say.
This development has raised concerns about the stability of the fragile peace process in the world’s youngest nation.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has swiftly responded to the situation, calling for calm and urging all parties to recommit to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement. UNMISS Special Representative and Head, Nicholas Haysom, warned that the country is at a critical juncture.
“Tonight, the country’s leaders stand on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict or taking the country forward towards peace, recovery, and democracy,” Haysom said in a statement.
He cautioned that unilateral amendments to the peace agreement could undo years of progress and plunge the country back into war, with devastating consequences for South Sudan and the broader region.
The SPLM-IO has not officially commented on the arrests, but tensions have been rising between the main parties to the peace deal. Political analysts fear that this move could escalate into a broader conflict, jeopardizing the already fragile transition process ahead of planned elections.
UNMISS has urged all parties to cease hostilities immediately and engage in constructive dialogue to prevent further instability.
This is a developing story
