JUBA, South Sudan – South Sudanese authorities have arrested Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol and Deputy Army Chief Gabriel Duop Lam, both allies of First Vice President Riek Machar, as soldiers surrounded Machar’s home in Juba.
The arrests follow an armed group linked to Machar overrunning an army base in Upper Nile state, escalating tensions between Machar’s faction and President Salva Kiir’s government.
Political Unrest & Peace Deal Threatened
Machar, who was sacked by Kiir in 2013, igniting a five-year civil war that killed over 400,000 people, recently warned that the removal of his allies from government threatened the 2018 peace agreement.
Water Minister Pal Mai Deng, spokesperson for Machar’s SPLM-IO party, condemned the arrests, stating that they “violate the peace deal and put the agreement at risk.”
“We are also gravely concerned about the heavy deployment of South Sudan army troops (SSPDF) around Machar’s residence,” Deng added, saying such actions “erode trust among the parties.”
Growing Violence in Upper Nile
Tensions appear to stem from escalating violence in Upper Nile state, where government forces accuse Lam’s faction of collaborating with the White Army, an armed youth militia predominantly from Machar’s Nuer ethnic group.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) recently reported clashes between SSPDF forces and armed groups in Upper Nile’s Nasir County, resulting in civilian and military casualties.
Uncertain Future
Machar’s spokesman, Puok Both Baluang, said several other senior military officials from his faction are under house arrest, with no explanation from the government.
Meanwhile, South Sudan army spokesman Major-General Lul Ruai Koang declined to comment on the arrests or the military’s presence at Machar’s home.
With rising ethnic tensions, ongoing violence, and a fragile peace deal at stake, the political future of South Sudan remains uncertain.
