A major party in South Sudan’s coalition government has suspended its role in the 2018 peace deal amidst rising tensions with President Salva Kiir. Recent arrests of SPLM-IO officials have heightened political instability, leading to humanitarian crises and fears of a return to civil conflict. UN officials express deep concern over the situation, particularly in light of regional instability driven by the Sudan conflict.
In South Sudan, a prominent political party within the coalition government has officially announced its suspension from key aspects of the 2018 peace agreement. This decision arises amidst escalating tensions between the leader of the party, Riek Machar, and President Salva Kiir, particularly following recent violent clashes and arrests. The peace deal initially halted a five-year conflict between Kiir’s and Machar’s factions, with Machar currently serving as the First Vice President leading the SPLM-IO party.
Recent tensions have been exacerbated by the apprehension of several SPLM-IO officials, including the petroleum minister and the deputy army head, coinciding with military confrontations in Nasir, near the Ethiopian border, where the White Army, an ethnic militia, forced government troops to withdraw. The government accuses the SPLM-IO of collaborating with the White Army, composed largely of Nuer youths who previously supported Machar, a claim the party vehemently refutes.
Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, the deputy chairman of SPLM-IO, stated that the party’s participation in security agreements tied to the peace initiative would halt until the detained officials are released. He warned that the ongoing political repressions jeopardize the integrity and survival of the peace deal.
The conflict near Nasir has had dire humanitarian impacts, displacing 50,000 individuals since late February, with 10,000 seeking refuge in Ethiopia, as reported by the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, Anita Kiki Gbeho.
UN peacekeeping chief Nicholas Haysom expressed grave concerns that South Sudan is nearing a return to civil war, highlighting the rampant hate speech fueled by misinformation, raising alarms about the potential for ethnic violence. Analysts attribute the worsening situation partially to the ongoing conflict in neighboring Sudan, which has adversely affected South Sudan’s peace process and aggravated regional tensions. Alan Boswell from the International Crisis Group indicated that spillover fighting from the Sudan war is already beginning to manifest in Upper Nile, potentially threatening stability in the capital, Juba.
The SPLM-IO’s withdrawal from the peace process compounds the already fragile situation in South Sudan, exacerbated by recent arrests of its officials and escalating violence. With humanitarian crises unfolding and increasing regional tensions related to the conflict in Sudan, the risks of relapse into civil war heighten. The concerns voiced by diplomatic figures underscore the need for urgent resolutions to prevent further deterioration in the political and social landscape.
Original Source: www.straitstimes.com
