General Gabriel Duop Lam’s arrest by South Sudanese authorities is viewed as a severe breach of the peace deal from the country’s civil war. This incident underscores the ongoing tensions between political leaders and the threat of renewed conflict. The SPLM-IO has expressed distress over the detentions, urging political commitment to maintain peace, amid rising violence involving militia forces in Upper Nile state.
The recent arrest of General Gabriel Duop Lam and other senior officials from the South Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) has been described as a “grave violation” of the peace agreement that concluded a five-year civil war. This incident comes as concerns grow over a potential return to conflict amid the ongoing rift between Vice-President Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir, which ignited the civil war in 2013.
Machar’s spokesperson expressed deep concern over the detentions, stating that the SPLM-IO remains uncertain about the whereabouts of their officials. “We are doing our best to avoid any escalation to the situation,” spokesperson Puok Both Baluang declared, urging peace partners to exhibit the necessary political resolve to maintain stability.
In response, government spokesperson Michael Makuei asserted that the arrests were due to alleged legal infractions, emphasizing President Kiir’s commitment to preventing a regression into war. South Sudan has faced challenges since its independence in 2011, culminating in a peace deal in 2018 that has not yet fully stabilized the region.
General Lam is the military head of the opposition party, which has not yet been incorporated into the national army. His arrest was preceded by the midnight detention of Oil Minister Puot Kang Chol and heightened military activity around Machar’s residence in Juba, where allied military officials are reportedly under house arrest.
These developments follow clashes between the White Army militia, which fought alongside Machar during the civil war, and government forces over a strategically vital town in Upper Nile state. According to Machar’s spokesperson, these tensions could have been mitigated if national army leadership had adhered to the peace agreement.
Warnings from the UN and African Union indicate that escalating violence in the region could destabilize the peace process further. Ter Manyang of the Center for Peace and Advocacy in Juba cautioned, “The country is likely to slide to war unless the situation is managed by the top leadership of the country.”
Despite plans for delayed national elections scheduled for 2026, South Sudan continues to grapple with the ramifications of its troubled political landscape and the threat of renewed conflict as the situation develops.
The arrest of General Gabriel Duop Lam and other senior SPLM-IO officials has raised serious concerns regarding the compliance with the peace agreement that concluded the civil war in South Sudan. The opposition asserts the arrests are a significant violation, emphasizing the need for a commitment to prevent further conflict. With increasing tensions and recent violence, the stability of South Sudan remains precarious, requiring immediate attention from top leadership to uphold peace initiatives.
Original Source: clubofmozambique.com
