South Sudan’s fragile peace hangs by a thread After Machar’s arrest

Juba, South Sudan – The detention of First Vice-President Riek Machar has thrown the nation into turmoil, with his party declaring the 2018 peace deal “effectively collapsed.” Armed security forces, reportedly led by the defense minister, stormed Machar’s residence late Wednesday, disarming his guards and placing him under house arrest alongside his wife, Interior Minister Angelina Teny.

The SPLM-IO, Machar’s party, condemned the move as a “blatant violation” of the peace agreement that ended a brutal five-year civil war. Deputy leader Oyet Nathaniel Pierino warned the action “puts peace and stability into serious jeopardy.”

President Salva Kiir, addressing religious leaders, vowed he “will never return the country to war.” But tensions are explosive. Heavy military deployments surround Machar’s home, and residents fear revenge-fueled violence. “This could be deadlier than before,” one Juba local told AFP.

The UN Mission (UNMISS) sounded alarms, stating South Sudan’s leaders “stand on the brink of widespread conflict.” Diplomatic pressure mounts as the U.S. and UK reduce embassy staff and urge citizens to leave. Washington has demanded Machar’s release, tweeting: “Reverse this action.”

With clashes already erupting in Upper Nile State, the world’s youngest nation faces a grim crossroads—reconciliation or relapse into war. The stakes? Not just South Sudan’s future, but regional stability.