South Sudan arrests key Machar allies as army surrounds his house

In South Sudan, the recent arrests of petroleum minister Puot Kang Chol and deputy army chief General Gabriel Duop Lam—both allies of First Vice President Riek Machar—underscore rising tensions in the capital, Juba. These arrests occurred as Machar's residence was surrounded by soldiers, following a violent incident in which an armed group allied with Machar overtook an army base. Critics claim this jeopardizes the fragile 2018 peace agreement that ended a civil war, with officials warning that such actions erode trust among political factions and destabilize the nation further.

"Lam's arrest puts the entire peace agreement at risk. This action violates the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan and cripples the Joint Defence Board, a vital institution of the Agreement responsible for the command and control of all forces."

"The firing of several of his allies from posts in the government threatened a 2018 peace deal between him and Kiir. The deal had ended a five-year civil war in which more than 400,000 people were killed."

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