South Sudanese authorities have arrested the country’s Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol and several senior military officials aligned with First Vice President Riek Machar, according to a spokesperson for the vice president. The arrests, which come amid ongoing political tensions, could pose a significant threat to the fragile peace established by a 2018 agreement that ended the country’s devastating five-year civil war.
The civil war, which pitted Machar against President Salva Kiir, claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. Though South Sudan has officially been at peace since the signing of the 2018 deal, the relationship between Machar and Kiir remains fraught with tension, and sporadic violence between rival communities continues to erupt.
Puok Both Baluang, Machar’s spokesperson, confirmed that Minister Puot Kang Chol and the deputy chief of the army were taken into custody. He added that several other senior military figures who have supported Machar were placed under house arrest. Baluang expressed concern over the lack of an official explanation for the detentions.
“As of now, there’s not any reason provided to us that led to the arrest or the detention of these officials,” Baluang told media.
South Sudanese security forces have also been deployed around Machar’s residence, though the vice president was still able to make his way to his office on Wednesday morning, according to Baluang.