Arrest of South Sudan’s Peacebuilding Minister Strains Fragile Peace Process

South Sudan’s peacebuilding minister, Stephen Par Kuol, has been arrested amid rising tensions and violence, particularly in Nasir. Vice President Riek Machar’s spokesman confirmed the arrest, which follows similar detentions of other officials associated with Machar. This series of arrests threatens the fragile peace established by the 2018 agreement and reflects ongoing ethnic conflicts within the country.

In a recent development impacting South Sudan’s tenuous peace process, the peacebuilding minister, Hon. Stephen Par Kuol, has been arrested by national security forces. This event was confirmed by Puok Both Baluang, a spokesman for Vice President Riek Machar, who reported the arrest via social media platform X.

This arrest occurred in the context of heightened violence in the strategic northern town of Nasir, where clashes have erupted between national forces and a militia known as the White Army, primarily composed of armed members from the Nuer ethnic group, Machar’s community. The White Army previously allied with Machar during the civil conflict from 2013 to 2018 against President Salva Kiir’s predominantly ethnic Dinka troops.

Additionally, Information Minister Michael Makuei has accused Machar’s supporters of colluding with the White Army and orchestrating an attack on a military garrison near Nasir. However, he did not comment on Kuol’s arrest, despite Kuol’s prominent role in negotiating the 2018 peace agreement that aimed to conclude the civil war.

Earlier this week, the vice presidency had also announced the arrest of Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol, deputy army chief Gabriel Doup Lam, and several other senior military officials affiliated with Machar. These actions signify ongoing tensions within the South Sudanese government, jeopardizing the fragile peace established by the previous agreements.

The arrest of Minister Stephen Par Kuol exemplifies the unrest and instability that continues to plague South Sudan despite prior peace agreements. The situation highlights ongoing conflicts between government forces and militia groups, particularly targeting senior officials aligned with Vice President Machar, thereby risking the progress made towards national reconciliation.

Original Source: www.straitstimes.com