The Kenyan government has stepped up diplomatic efforts to address the escalating political tensions in South Sudan following the arrest and detention of the country’s First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Wednesday night.
In a statement on X handle, President William Ruto confirmed that he held a phone call with South Sudan President Salva Kiir to discuss on the situation surrounding the detention of Machar.
Ruto also confirmed having consulted with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on the same.
“Had a phone call with President Salva Kiir on the situation leading to the arrest and detention of 1st vice President Riek Machar in South Sudan. After consultations with President Museveni and Prime Minister Abiy, I’m sending a special envoy to South Sudan to engage, try de-escalate, and brief us back.”
Earlier on, Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi had called on all parties in South Sudan to prioritize peace in the country by giving room to the ongoing peace agreements following the detention of Machar.
CS Mudavadi urged leaders in South Sudan to exercise restraint, cease hostilities, and uphold the Revitalized Peace Agreement in the best interests of millions of their people.
“The Kenyan government calls on all parties in South Sudan to prioritize peace in the country by giving room to the ongoing peace agreements under the auspices of IGAD’s Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).” Said CS Mudavadi.
Adding that: “We urge all the leaders in South Sudan to exercise utmost restraint, cease hostilities, and uphold the Revitalized Peace Agreement in the best interests of millions of their people.”
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM/IO) says Dr. Machar has been placed under house arrest.
According to BBC, SPLM/IO noted that an armed convoy led by top security officials, including the defence minister, entered Machar’s residence in the capital, Juba, and disarmed his bodyguards late on Wednesday.
“Technically, Dr. Machar is under house arrest, but the security officials initially tried to take him away,” said Reath Muoch Tang, chairman of the party’s foreign relations committee.
UN urges leaders to choose peace
Earlier the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) also weighed in the conversation calling for all parties to exercise restraint.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS, Nicholas Haysom in a statement noted that South Sudan stands at a critical point warning that leaders must choose between peace and conflict.
“Tonight, the country’s leaders stand on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict or taking the country forward towards peace, recovery and democracy in the spirit of the consensus that was reached in 2018 when they signed and committed to implementing a Revitalized Peace Agreement,” said Haysom.
Fragile peace at stake
Civil war erupted in 2013 between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those aligned with First Vice President Machar. The war marked by ethnic violence, mass atrocities and a widespread humanitarian crisis lasted until a fragile peace deal was signed in 2018.
Though the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement brought a degree of stability, delays in its implementation and continued political rivalries have kept tensions simmering.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in South Sudan remains dire, with over nine million people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, including two million internally displaced persons.
Also read https://www.kbc.co.ke/un-calls-for-urgent-action-to-sustain-peace-in-south-sudan/
