On March 5, 2025, South Sudan saw the arrest of several senior officials, including Minister Puot Kang Chol and Lieutenant General Gabriel Doup Lam, amid escalating political tensions and violence. The situation threatens the fragile power-sharing agreement formed in 2018, which ended years of civil war. President Kiir insists that the country will not return to conflict, despite ongoing struggles with poverty and instability.
On March 5, 2025, several senior officials in South Sudan were apprehended, including three prominent members of the SPLM-IO party and a lieutenant general allied with Vice President Riek Machar. This series of arrests appears to be part of a crackdown against a faction within the power-sharing government. Among those detained was Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol, who was arrested at his home in Juba alongside family members and bodyguards, as stated by the ministry’s press secretary.
According to reports, the arrests were executed by members of the National Security Service, coinciding with the recent detention of Lieutenant General Gabriel Doup Lam by troops from the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), which are aligned with President Salva Kiir. This turmoil centered around Vice President Machar’s residence raises concerns over the stability of the existing power-sharing agreement established in 2018.
Machar’s spokesperson emphasized that the general’s arrest undermines the power-sharing agreement, expressing grave worries over the military’s heavy presence around Machar’s residence. Observers speculate that the arrests may stem from escalating violence in the Upper Nile region, where ethnic Nuer rebels are reportedly clashing with government forces. Accusations have been directed at General Duop Lam, claiming he and his troops, who largely belong to the Nuer ethnic group, are collaborating with these rebels.
A recent report from the UN Mission in South Sudan highlighted an uptick in conflict between government troops and armed youth in Upper Nile, which has resulted in civilian casualties due to heavy weaponry. The backdrop of this unrest is the extensive history of violence in South Sudan, which saw the outset of civil war in late 2013 following Kiir’s dismissal of Machar, resulting in substantial loss of life and widespread displacement.
Although the 2018 peace deal has curtailed some violence, its implementation remains incomplete. The current power-sharing government is tenuous, with delayed elections exacerbating the nation’s persistent poverty and conflict. In response to the recent detentions, President Kiir reaffirmed through a government spokesperson that South Sudan must not revert to war, signaling the urgent need for political stability.
The recent arrests of senior officials in South Sudan indicate a potentially dangerous political situation, raising alarms regarding the fragile power-sharing agreement. The tensions between President Salva Kiir’s forces and Vice President Riek Machar’s faction highlight the ongoing challenges in establishing peace. As violence continues in regions like Upper Nile, South Sudan’s stability remains precarious, emphasizing the dire need for a fully implemented peace process to avert a return to widespread conflict.
Original Source: www.dw.com
