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BBC News
11-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
South Sudan tensions: Fears grow of return to civil war between Riek Machar and Salva Kiir
Rising tensions in the east African country of South Sudan, culminating in the 26 March arrest of Vice-President Riek Machar, have sparked concerns that the world's youngest nation is heading for another civil party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM-IO), has said that his house arrest "effectively brings… to a collapse" the fragile 2018 peace agreement that ended five years of fighting. What's the background? South Sudan, one of the world's poorest countries, gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after decades of struggle led by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), now under President Salva two years into independence, a civil war erupted when Kiir dismissed Machar as vice-president, accusing him of plotting a ensuing conflict, largely fought along ethnic lines between supporters of the two leaders, resulted in an estimated 400,000 deaths and 2.5 million people being forced from their homes – more than a fifth of the part of the peace deal, Machar was reinstated as vice-president within a unity government that was meant to pave the way for elections. Why is there tension now? The current crisis was sparked at the beginning of March when the White Army militia, which was allied to Machar during the civil war, clashed with the army in Upper Nile state and overran a military base in on 7 March a UN helicopter attempting to evacuate troops came under fire, leaving several dead, including a high-ranking army three weeks later, Machar and several of his associates were arrested. They were accused of trying to stir up a rebellion."The prospect for peace and stability in South Sudan has now been put into serious jeopardy," Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, deputy leader of SPLM-IO, said at the time. What about the 2018 peace deal? While Machar's inclusion in the unity government was a key part of the agreement, other parts of it have not been key issue for many South Sudanese is the security deal outlined how former rebel forces and government soldiers would be brought together into a unified national army made up of 83,000 troops. The remainder were supposed to be disarmed and this has not happened and there are still lots of militias aligned to different political deal also outlined the establishment, with the help of the African Union, of a court meant to try the perpetrators of the violence. But this has not been created, in part because those holding some of the top positions in government are reluctant to set up something that could see them put on that were supposed to happen in 2022 have still not taken place and neither has a new constitution been drawn up. What is the problem between Machar and Kiir? While Kiir and Machar, both in their 70s, were part of the SPLM that fought for independence, long-standing tensions have been fuelled by ethnic divisions – Kiir is Dinka, while Machar is Nuer – and competing political Kiir sacked Machar in 2013, triggering the civil war, Machar denounced him as a "dictator".Creating further problems between the two are the repeated postponements of elections. Polls have been delayed four times, leaving Machar unable to fulfil his presidential ambitions. Who is Riek Machar? Born in 1952, the 72-year-old was the 27th son of the chief of Ayod and Leer and was brought up in the Presbyterian an undergraduate, he studied mechanical engineering at the University of Khartoum and in 1984 earned a PhD in philosophy and strategic planning at the UK's Bradford switched sides on several occasions during the battle to secede from Sudan, as he sought to strengthen his position and that of his Nuer ethnic group. He became vice-president of South Sudan at independence in 2011. Machar was sacked in 2013 and then reinstated as part of a deal in 2016, but then fled as fighting resumed. Who is Salva Kiir? Born in 1951, the 73-year-old devout Roman Catholic was the son of a cattle herder and the eighth of nine 17, he joined the Anyanya, one of the rebel groups that was fighting for southern independence during the First Sudanese Civil War in 1967. Sixteen years later - in the Second Sudanese Civil War - he was one of the five founding members of the Sudan People's Liberation Army/ former rebel commander, who specialised in military intelligence, was seen as a moderate within the SPLM and became its leader in 2005 after the death of John Garang in a helicopter crashHe became president of South Sudan on independence and has remained in that position for 14 years as no elections have taken place. How bad could things get? Nicholas Haysom, head of the UN mission in South Sudan, has warned the country is "teetering on the brink of a return to full-scale civil war", which would devastate the nation that is still dealing with the aftermath of the last are concerns that a return to fighting could lead to "proxy warfare in the region", according to Daniel Akech, an analyst at the Crisis Group think-tank."South Sudan is filled with so many armed groups, they're all seeming to be gearing up for military engagement."The war in neighbouring Sudan adds another element of instability. What is being done to ease the tensions? The leaders of the members of the regional grouping Igad – including Uganda - are supposed to be the guarantors of the 2018 President Yoweri Museveni was in Juba recently and met Kiir, but the outcome of their discussions is not troops were also deployed to the country last month. South Sudan's government said the deployment was part of a long-standing agreement with its neighbour and the soldiers are there to support the army. An African Union delegation was also in the capital and, as well as talking to the president, diplomats hoped to sit down with Machar – but that did not happen. There has been not a statement from the AU in the wake of the embassies – including the US and the UK – have released statements calling for the de-escalation of tensions, but it is not clear what impact these have had. More BBC stories on South Sudan: Pontiff urges people to reject 'venom of hatred''We walked for nine days to see the Pope'The basketball team forging a 'new story' for South Sudan Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why fears are growing of a return of civil war to South Sudan
Rising tensions in the east African country of South Sudan, culminating in the 26 March arrest of Vice-President Riek Machar, have sparked concerns that the world's youngest nation is heading for another civil war. His party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM-IO), has said that his house arrest "effectively brings… to a collapse" the fragile 2018 peace agreement that ended five years of fighting. South Sudan, one of the world's poorest countries, gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after decades of struggle led by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), now under President Salva Kiir. Just two years into independence, a civil war erupted when Kiir dismissed Machar as vice-president, accusing him of plotting a coup. The ensuing conflict, largely fought along ethnic lines between supporters of the two leaders, resulted in an estimated 400,000 deaths and 2.5 million people being forced from their homes – more than a fifth of the population. As part of the peace deal, Machar was reinstated as vice-president within a unity government that was meant to pave the way for elections. The current crisis was sparked at the beginning of March when the White Army militia, which was allied to Machar during the civil war, clashed with the army in Upper Nile state and overran a military base in Nasir. Then on 7 March a UN helicopter attempting to evacuate troops came under fire, leaving several dead, including a high-ranking army general. Nearly three weeks later, Machar and several of his associates were arrested. They were accused of trying to stir up a rebellion. "The prospect for peace and stability in South Sudan has now been put into serious jeopardy," Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, deputy leader of SPLM-IO, said at the time. While Machar's inclusion in the unity government was a key part of the agreement, other parts of it have not been implemented. The key issue for many South Sudanese is the security arrangement. The deal outlined how former rebel forces and government soldiers would be brought together into a unified national army made up of 83,000 troops. The remainder were supposed to be disarmed and demobilised. But this has not happened and there are still lots of militias aligned to different political groups. The deal also outlined the establishment, with the help of the African Union, of a court meant to try the perpetrators of the violence. But this has not been created, in part because those holding some of the top positions in government are reluctant to set up something that could see them put on trial. Elections that were supposed to happen in 2022 have still not taken place and neither has a new constitution been drawn up. While Kiir and Machar, both in their 70s, were part of the SPLM that fought for independence, long-standing tensions exist. These have been fuelled by ethnic divisions – Kiir is Dinka, while Machar is Nuer – and competing political ambitions. When Kiir sacked Machar in 2013, triggering the civil war, Machar denounced him as a "dictator". Creating further problems between the two are the repeated postponements of elections. Polls have been delayed four times, leaving Machar unable to fulfil his presidential ambitions. Born in 1952, the 72-year-old was the 27th son of the chief of Ayod and Leer and was brought up in the Presbyterian Church. As an undergraduate, he studied mechanical engineering at the University of Khartoum and in 1984 earned a PhD in philosophy and strategic planning at the UK's Bradford University. He switched sides on several occasions during the battle to secede from Sudan, as he sought to strengthen his position and that of his Nuer ethnic group. He became vice-president of South Sudan at independence in 2011. Machar was sacked in 2013 and then reinstated as part of a deal in 2016, but then fled as fighting resumed. Born in 1951, the 73-year-old devout Roman Catholic was the son of a cattle herder and the eighth of nine children. At 17, he joined the Anyanya, one of the rebel groups that was fighting for southern independence during the First Sudanese Civil War in 1967. Sixteen years later - in the Second Sudanese Civil War - he was one of the five founding members of the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement. The former rebel commander, who specialised in military intelligence, was seen as a moderate within the SPLM and became its leader in 2005 after the death of John Garang in a helicopter crash He became president of South Sudan on independence and has remained in that position for 14 years as no elections have taken place. Nicholas Haysom, head of the UN mission in South Sudan, has warned the country is "teetering on the brink of a return to full-scale civil war", which would devastate the nation that is still dealing with the aftermath of the last conflict. There are concerns that a return to fighting could lead to "proxy warfare in the region", according to Daniel Akech, an analyst at the Crisis Group think-tank. "South Sudan is filled with so many armed groups, they're all seeming to be gearing up for military engagement." The war in neighbouring Sudan adds another element of instability. The leaders of the members of the regional grouping Igad – including Uganda - are supposed to be the guarantors of the 2018 deal. Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni was in Juba recently and met Kiir, but the outcome of their discussions is not known. Ugandan troops were also deployed to the country last month. South Sudan's government said the deployment was part of a long-standing agreement with its neighbour and the soldiers are there to support the army. An African Union delegation was also in the capital and, as well as talking to the president, diplomats hoped to sit down with Machar – but that did not happen. There has been not a statement from the AU in the wake of the visit. Western embassies – including the US and the UK – have released statements calling for the de-escalation of tensions, but it is not clear what impact these have had. Pontiff urges people to reject 'venom of hatred' 'We walked for nine days to see the Pope' The basketball team forging a 'new story' for South Sudan Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
Express Tribune
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
South Sudan's VP Riek Machar placed under house arrest
Listen to article South Sudan's First Vice-President Riek Machar has been placed under house arrest by state security forces, his party said on Thursday, escalating fears of renewed conflict in the war-scarred nation. The Sudan People's Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM-IO) said a heavily armed convoy, including senior security officials and the defence minister, entered Machar's compound in the capital, Juba, on Wednesday night and disarmed his bodyguards. 'Technically, Dr Machar is under house arrest, but the security officials initially tried to take him away,' said Reath Muoch Tang, chair of the SPLM-IO's foreign relations committee. South Sudanese authorities have yet to publicly comment on the situation. The SPLM-IO said Machar was detained along with his wife, Interior Minister Angelina Teny, under what it called an 'unclear' arrest warrant. The group described the move as a 'blatant violation' of the constitution and the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) warned that the country risked falling back into widespread violence, stating the arrest marked a potential turning point. 'Tonight, the country's leaders stand on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict,' UNMISS said, urging respect for the peace deal signed in 2018 to end a five-year civil war that claimed nearly 400,000 lives. Relations between Machar and President Salva Kiir have grown increasingly strained in recent months, fuelled by ethnic divisions and sporadic clashes. The latest reports of fighting in the northern town of Nasir in Upper Nile State have further heightened concerns. Foreign embassies have begun scaling back operations. The US and UK missions have reduced staffing and urged nationals to leave the country, while the Norwegian and German embassies have suspended activities in Juba.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
South Sudan VP Machar under house arrest, his party says
South Sudan's First Vice-President Riek Machar, a long-time rival of the country's President Salva Kiir, has been placed under house arrest, his party says. An armed convoy led by top security officials, including the defence minister, entered Machar's residence in the capital, Juba, and disarmed his bodyguards late on Wednesday, said the Sudan People's Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM/IO). "Technically, Dr Machar is under house arrest, but the security officials initially tried to take him away," said Reath Muoch Tang, chairman of the party's foreign relations committee. The government is yet to comment. The UN has been warning that South Sudan is on the brink of a return to civil war following an escalation of conflict between Machar and the president that has been building for weeks. The two leaders agreed in August 2018 to end a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people. UN fears war as barrel bombs dropped in South Sudan But over the last seven years their relationship has become increasingly strained amid ethnic tensions and sporadic violence. The SPLM/IO said Machar was detained alongside his wife Angelina Teny, who is also the country's interior minister. "An arrest warrant was delivered to him under unclear charges," Tang said in a statement, calling the action a "blatant violation of the constitution and the Revitalized Peace Agreement". "The arrest of the first vice-president without due process undermines the rule of law and threatens the stability of the nation," he added. The UN mission in South Sudan has warned that the the world's newest nation risked losing the "hard-won gains of the past seven years" if it returned to "a state of war", following reports of Machar's detention. "Tonight, the country's leaders stand on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict," the mission said in a statement on Wednesday. Violations of the 2018 peace deal "will not only devastate South Sudan but also affect the entire region," it added. The British and US embassies have scaled down their diplomatic staff and urged their citizens to leave the country while the Norwegian and German embassies have closed their operations in Juba. The escalating tensions come amid renewed clashes between forces loyal to the two rivals in the northern town of Nasir in the oil-rich Upper Nile State. Mystery in South Sudan after sacked spy boss mired in gun battle Salva Kiir: The president in a cowboy hat Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
BBC News
27-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
South Sudan clashes: VP Riek Machar under house arrest, his party says
South Sudan's First Vice-President Riek Machar, a long-time rival of the country's President Salva Kiir, has been placed under house arrest, his party says. An armed convoy led by top security officials, including the defence minister, entered Machar's residence in the capital, Juba, and disarmed his bodyguards late on Wednesday, said the Sudan People's Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM/IO). "Technically, Dr Machar is under house arrest, but the security officials initially tried to take him away," said Reath Muoch Tang, chairman of the party's foreign relations committee. The government is yet to comment. The UN has been warning that South Sudan is on the brink of a return to civil war following an escalation of conflict between Machar and the president that has been building for weeks. The two leaders agreed in August 2018 to end a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 fears war as barrel bombs dropped in South SudanBut over the last seven years their relationship has become increasingly strained amid ethnic tensions and sporadic SPLM/IO said Machar was detained alongside his wife Angelina Teny, who is also the country's interior minister. "An arrest warrant was delivered to him under unclear charges," Tang said in a statement, calling the action a "blatant violation of the constitution and the Revitalized Peace Agreement". "The arrest of the first vice-president without due process undermines the rule of law and threatens the stability of the nation," he UN mission in South Sudan has warned that the the world's newest nation risked losing the "hard-won gains of the past seven years" if it returned to "a state of war", following reports of Machar's detention. "Tonight, the country's leaders stand on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict," the mission said in a statement on Wednesday. Violations of the 2018 peace deal "will not only devastate South Sudan but also affect the entire region," it added. The British and US embassies have scaled down their diplomatic staff and urged their citizens to leave the country while the Norwegian and German embassies have closed their operations in Juba. The escalating tensions come amid renewed clashes between forces loyal to the two rivals in the northern town of Nasir in the oil-rich Upper Nile State. You may also be interested in: Mystery in South Sudan after sacked spy boss mired in gun battleSalva Kiir: The president in a cowboy hat Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
