U.N. Advocates for Restraint Following Turbulence in South Sudan’s Political Sphere

AX – Juba: The call for peace resonates loudly from the halls of the United Nations as tension brews in South Sudan. Recent reports indicate the unexpected arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar, a move that hangs like a dark cloud over the nation’s delicate peace.

In a prescient statement released at the crack of dawn on Thursday, Nicholas Haysom, a man who knows the landscape well as the U.N. Mission chief in South Sudan (UNMISS), urged all political figures to exercise patience and wisdom. He spoke with a grave seriousness, noting that slipping back into violence threatens to obliterate the painstaking progress etched into the past seven years. “Tonight, the country’s leaders stand at a crossroads,” Haysom remarked with a philosophical edge. “Will they choose the path of destruction or forge ahead with the noble pursuits of peace, rebuilding, and democracy, as envisioned in the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement?”

The SPLM-IO, Machar’s political party, painted a vivid picture of coercion and defiance, describing how, under the night’s deceptive calm, a heavily armed caravan of 20 vehicles silently breached Machar’s sanctuary in Juba. The vice president’s lifeguards were reportedly relieved of their duties, and Machar himself was detained under murky allegations.

Contained within this ominous convoy, officials claimed, were the defense minister and the national security head, acting as shadows of state power.

“This is a blatant violation of the Constitution and the Revitalized Peace Agreement, as no legal procedures such as lifting his immunity were followed,” expressed Reath Muoch Tang, chair of the SPLM-IO’s foreign relations committee, striking a chord in a powerful social media dispatch.

One cannot help but wonder, what does this signal for a nation striving for stability? “The arrest of the First Vice President without due process undermines the rule of law and threatens national stability,” Tang continued, encapsulating the gravity of the situation.

The backdrop to this escalating drama is the growing friction between Machar and President Salva Kiir. In recent memory, UNMISS had already confirmed skirmishes flickering like sporadic wildfires around Juba, fueled by loyalty conflicts between troops behind both leaders.

The 2018 power-sharing accord, once a beacon of hope, now wavers under these pressures. It’s not only Machar feeling the heat—top SPLM-IO figures, including the petroleum minister and the deputy army chief, found themselves detained at the government’s behest in a startling series of events.

Beyond the political chessboard, there’s an unsettling narrative of government forces purportedly targeting a military base and several training camps surrounding Juba. Since the week began, claims of such aggression now echo loudly in the fragile corridors of peace.

As the shadows lengthen across South Sudan, the fear of a return to protracted conflict looms large, etching uncertainty into the lives of countless citizens yearning for tranquility.

Axadle – Juba

In light of these developments, we must ask ourselves: Can South Sudanese leaders steer their nation through this storm and into the light of peace and unity?

Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring