Arrests of opposition figures heighten tensions in South Sudan

6 March 2025, 21:29

South Sudan’s fragile peace is under increasing strain after several prominent opposition figures were arrested by security forces, leading to fears that the peace agreement that ended the nation’s devastating civil war may be at risk.

General Gabriel Doup Lam, the head of the military wing of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), and Oil Minister Puot Kang Chol, both key allies of Vice President Riek Machar, were detained by government forces on Tuesday and Wednesday. These arrests have raised alarms, as both Lam and Chol are senior figures in the opposition, which has been engaged in a tense power-sharing arrangement with President Salva Kiir’s government.

A military spokesperson, Colonel Lam Gabriel Paul, confirmed the arrests but stated that the government had provided no explanation for the detentions. These actions come at a time of heightened tension in the capital, Juba, where Machar’s residence was surrounded by troops in a late-night operation, only for the soldiers to withdraw shortly afterward. In addition, other high-ranking military officers loyal to Machar have been placed under house arrest, further escalating the situation.

South Sudan, which became the world’s youngest nation in 2011 following its secession from Sudan, plunged into a brutal civil war just two years later when political differences between President Kiir and Vice President Machar erupted into violence. The five-year conflict, which claimed the lives of over 400,000 people and displaced millions, was formally ended by a peace deal in 2018. However, since the agreement was signed, the peace process has been fraught with challenges, and recent events have intensified fears that the country could relapse into war.

Despite the arrests and rising tensions, President Kiir has assured the public that the country will not return to conflict. Government spokesperson Michael Makuei reiterated these assurances during a press briefing in Juba on Wednesday.

The timing of the arrests is particularly concerning as Lam, who is responsible for the military operations of the SPLM-IO, had yet to be integrated into the unified national army, a key component of the peace agreement. Chol’s detention, which occurred in the middle of the night, also highlights the growing divide between the government and the opposition.

Riek Machar’s spokesperson, Pal Mai Deng, strongly condemned the arrests, calling them a clear violation of the peace agreement. “This act jeopardizes the entire peace process,” he said, urging the international community to intervene before the situation worsens.

The unrest follows reports of the White Army militia, which fought alongside Machar’s forces during the civil war, seizing a strategic town in Upper Nile state, near the Ethiopian border. Clashes between government and militia forces in the region have raised fears that the violence could spread, further destabilizing the country.

Both the United Nations and the African Union have expressed concern about the escalating violence in Upper Nile and warned that it could undermine the peace agreement. Ter Manyang, the head of the Juba-based Center for Peace and Advocacy, warned that the current situation was a critical turning point. “If this situation is not addressed by the country’s leadership, South Sudan risks sliding back into war,” he told Reuters.

South Sudan has yet to hold a national election, which is now scheduled for 2026, following multiple delays. The country’s fragile peace remains at a crossroads, and the world is watching closely to see whether the government and opposition can navigate this critical moment in their troubled history.