Juba: A senior military officer allied with South Sudan’s First Vice President Riek Machar has been arrested, and government troops have been deployed around Machar’s residence, sparking fears over the stability of the country’s 2018 peace agreement, his spokesperson has said.
South Sudan has been formally at peace since the signing of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, which ended five years of conflict between Machar and President Salva Kiir. However, sporadic clashes between rival factions and communities continue to threaten stability in the country.
On Tuesday, General Paul Nang, head of South Sudan’s defense forces, ordered the arrest of Lieutenant General Gabriel Doup Lam, a senior official in the military and a deputy to Nang. Following the arrest, security forces surrounded Machar’s residence, according to a statement issued by Machar’s spokesperson, Pal Mai Deng.
Deng condemned the move, stating that it undermines the peace agreement and weakens the Joint Defence Board, a key institution responsible for overseeing the country’s military forces. “This act puts the entire agreement at risk,” he warned. He also expressed deep concern over the deployment of South Sudanese army troops near Machar’s residence, saying such actions diminish trust between the peace partners.
No official reason has been given for Lam’s arrest. South Sudanese military spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai Koang declined to comment on the matter, while Information Minister Michael Makuei has yet to respond to inquiries.
The civil war that erupted in 2013, after President Kiir dismissed Machar as his deputy, resulted in an estimated 400,000 deaths and displaced more than 2.5 million people. The conflict devastated the country’s economy, significantly reducing oil production, a critical source of revenue.
A previous escalation of violence in July 2016 saw intense fighting in the capital, Juba, between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar, with both sides using heavy weaponry, including tanks and attack helicopters. Both leaders denied responsibility for the clashes while calling for calm.
The latest developments have raised concerns about renewed tensions and the future of South Sudan’s fragile peace.
