South Sudan’s Vice President Machar Placed Under House Arrest

By Staff, Agencies

South Sudan’s First Vice President, Riek Machar, has been placed under house arrest in the capital, Juba, according to his party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement In Opposition [SPLM/IO].

An armed convoy, led by top security officials, including the defense minister, entered Machar’s residence late Wednesday, disarming his bodyguards.

Reath Muoch Tang, chairman of the SPLM/IO’s foreign relations committee, confirmed the detention, stating that security officials initially attempted to remove Machar from his home. His wife, Interior Minister Angelina Teny, was also detained.

The government has not yet commented on the situation.

The development comes amid escalating tensions between Machar and President Salva Kiir, raising fears of renewed civil war.

The two leaders signed a peace agreement in 2018 to end a five-year conflict that killed nearly 400,000 people, but relations have remained strained, with sporadic violence persisting.

The UN mission in South Sudan has warned that the country is on the verge of returning to widespread conflict, jeopardizing the fragile peace process. Western embassies, including those of the UK and the US, have reduced diplomatic staff, while Germany and Norway have shut down their operations in Juba.

The arrest follows reports of renewed clashes between rival forces in the northern town of Nasir, in the oil-rich Upper Nile State, further deepening concerns over South Sudan’s stability.