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The arrest of an army general from South Sudan’s main opposition is a serious breach of the fragile peace deal that ended the country’s five-year civil war, an opposition spokesperson said.
Gen Gabriel Duop Lam, a senior commander in the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), was arrested earlier this week alongside other high-ranking officials. All detainees are close allies of Vice-President Riek Machar, whose longstanding rift with President Salva Kiir sparked South Sudan’s devastating war in 2013.
Opposition: Arrests Risk Escalation
On Thursday morning, Machar’s spokesperson Puok Both Baluang said the SPLM-IO had no information on the whereabouts or condition of their detained officials.
“We are doing our best to avoid any escalation, but we need our partners in peace to show the political will to ensure that this country does not go back to war again,” Baluang said Newsday programme.
President Kiir, however, has dismissed fears of renewed conflict. Speaking in Juba on Wednesday, government spokesperson Michael Makuei defended the arrests, saying the opposition figures had been detained for being “in conflict with the law”.
Rising Tensions Amid Peace Deal Struggles
South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, has struggled with instability since 2013, when Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup. The ensuing conflict killed 400,000 people and displaced 2.5 million before a 2018 peace deal was signed. However, tensions between the two camps have persisted.
Gen Lam, who commands the military wing of the opposition party, was taken into custody on Tuesday, while another Machar ally, Oil Minister Puot Kang Chol, was abducted overnight by security forces.
Machar’s residence in Juba was also surrounded by troops before they were later withdrawn. Other senior military officials aligned with Machar have been placed under house arrest.
Fears of Renewed Conflict
The arrests come amid reports that the White Army militia, a group that fought alongside Machar during the civil war, has seized a strategic town in Upper Nile state, near the Ethiopian border, after clashes with government troops.
Some pro-Kiir army officers have accused Machar’s allies of supporting the rebels. However, Baluang insisted that the renewed fighting “could have been avoided” if the national army had respected the peace agreement.
The UN and African Union have warned that escalating violence in Upper Nile could destabilize the country.
Growing Concerns Ahead of Delayed Elections
South Sudan has never held elections since gaining independence. The long-awaited polls, originally scheduled for 2023, have now been postponed to 2026.
Ter Manyang, head of the Juba-based Center for Peace and Advocacy, warned that unless the top leadership takes swift action, the country risks sliding back into full-scale war.
“The country is likely to slide into war unless the situation is managed by the top leadership,” he said.
With mounting tensions, international observers worry that South Sudan’s fragile peace deal is at serious risk—and that the path to a peaceful transition remains uncertain.
