The detention of a general from South Sudan’s primary opposition party has been described as a “serious breach” of the peace agreement that concluded a five-year civil conflict, according to a spokesperson for the opposition.
General Gabriel Duop Lam was apprehended earlier this week, along with several senior members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO).
These individuals are close associates of Vice-President Riek Machar, whose discord with President Salva Kiir ignited a devastating war in 2013.
On Thursday morning, Machar’s spokesperson stated that the SPLM-IO was unaware of the whereabouts or condition of their detained officials.
“We are striving to prevent any escalation of the situation; however, we require our peace partners to exhibit the political commitment necessary to ensure that this nation does not revert to conflict,” Puok Both Baluang informed the BBC’s Newsday programme.
President Kiir has asserted that South Sudan will not descend into war again, as government spokesperson Michael Makuei conveyed to reporters in the capital, Juba, on Wednesday.
Makuei further explained that the opposition leaders were arrested due to their “conflict with the law.”
South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, gained independence from Sudan in 2011. However, just two years later, a civil war broke out following Kiir’s dismissal of his entire cabinet and his accusations against Machar of orchestrating a failed coup.
After five years of conflict, which resulted in 400,000 deaths and displaced 2.5 million people, a peace agreement was reached in 2018, though it has faced numerous challenges since then.
General Lam oversees the military faction of the opposition party, which has yet to be incorporated into the national army. He was taken into custody on Tuesday.
Oil Minister Puot Kang Chol, an ally of Machar, was apprehended by security forces during the night.
Troops from the South Sudanese army surrounded Machar’s residence in the capital, Juba, overnight, although they later withdrew. Meanwhile, all other senior military officials aligned with Machar have been placed under house arrest, according to Africa24hrs.
These arrests come in the wake of reports indicating that the White Army militia has taken control of a strategic town in Upper Nile state, near the Ethiopian border, following clashes with government forces.
The White Army had previously fought alongside Machar during the civil war, and some members of the army loyal to Kiir have accused Machar’s supporters of aiding the rebels.
A spokesperson for Machar informed reporters that the ongoing conflict between the White Army and security forces “could have been avoided” if the national army’s leadership had adhered to the peace agreement.
Both the UN and the African Union have cautioned that the violence in this region could escalate further.
Ter Manyang, director of the Juba-based Center for Peace and Advocacy, told Reuters that the ongoing fighting poses a threat to the peace deal.
“The country is at risk of descending into war unless the situation is effectively managed by the nation’s top leadership,” he stated.
South Sudan has yet to conduct an election, which is now scheduled for 2026 after several delays.
