A major faction within South Sudan’s coalition government announced Tuesday a partial withdrawal from the 2018 peace agreement’s implementation.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in Opposition (SPLM-IO), led by First Vice President Riek Machar, cited deteriorating relations with President Salva Kiir amidst escalating tensions.
The decision follows recent clashes and the arrest of several SPLM-IO officials earlier this month.
Security forces detained the petroleum minister and a deputy army head after the White Army militia forced troops out of Nasir near the Ethiopian border.
The government alleges SPLM-IO ties to the White Army, a claim the party vehemently denies.
Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, SPLM-IO deputy chairman, stated their non-participation in security arrangements will continue until the detained officials are released.
He described the current political climate as a “witch-hunt” endangering the peace deal’s foundation.
The recent fighting near Nasir in Upper Nile state has displaced approximately 50,000 individuals since late February, with 10,000 seeking refuge in Ethiopia.
The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, Anita Kiki Gbeho, highlighted the dire humanitarian consequences.
The UN peacekeeping chief, Nicholas Haysom, voiced concerns that South Sudan teeters “on the brink of relapse into civil war,” noting a dangerous rise in hate speech with potential ethnic dimensions.
Analysts suggest the ongoing conflict in neighboring Sudan has further destabilized South Sudan’s fragile peace.
Suspended oil revenues, heightened regional tensions, and the influx of arms across the border exacerbate the situation.
Alan Boswell of the International Crisis Group warned of conflict spillover from Sudan, potentially reaching the capital, Juba.