Three South Sudanese politicians arrested as tensions grow
Three leading politicians from a South Sudanese party which is part of the unity government have been arrested.
A spokesman for the SPLM-IO party said on Wednesday that the oil minister is among those being detained.
There have been long-standing tensions within the transitional unity government of the East African country, which has been independent since 2011.
The unity government was formed in 2020 after several years of civil war.
President Salva Kiir Mayardit appointed his former rival Riek Machar, the leader of the SPLM-IO, as his deputy. Originally, elections were to be held in December 2024 for the first time since independence. However, the vote was cancelled.
According to media reports, security forces also surrounded Vice President Machar's residence on Wednesday. Ac
According to observers, the events point to a possible ousting of parts of the unity government. But no official reason was given for the arrests of the three SPLM-IO politicians.
One possible cause could be a militia from the Nuer ethnic group, to which Machar belongs, recently taking control of an important town on the border with Ethiopia after fighting government soldiers.
The political rivalries in South Sudan run along ethnic lines, particularly between the Nuer and the Dinka group, to which President Kiir belongs.
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