South Sudan's Vice President Arrested Amid Rising Tensions

Vice President Riek Machar's detention by state authorities has ignited fears of a collapse in peace agreements in South Sudan, escalating tensions between him and President Salva Kiir.

South Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar has been taken into custody, according to his political party, amidst a backdrop of rising tensions in the world's newest nation. The United Nations has expressed alarm that this development could jeopardize a fragile peace agreement and potentially plunge South Sudan back into civil conflict.

Machar was apprehended late Wednesday by the National Security Service, as reported by his acting press secretary, Puok Both Baluang. The Sudan People's Liberation Movement In Opposition, Machar's party, described the incident, stating that the defense minister and the national security chief forcibly entered Machar's home with an armed entourage, disarmed his security personnel, and presented him an arrest warrant with unspecified charges.

As of Thursday morning, the whereabouts of Machar remain uncertain, and attempts to reach government and opposition representatives for comments have been unsuccessful. A senior member of Machar's party, Reath Muoch Tang, condemned the arrest as a "blatant violation of the Constitution," warning that such actions undermine the rule of law and threaten the nation's stability.

This arrest could signal a precarious moment for the peace agreement brokered in 2018, which aimed to conclude a five-year conflict that resulted in nearly 400,000 fatalities. The U.S. State Department has voiced its concern regarding rumors that Machar may be under house arrest and called on President Kiir to reverse this decision to avert further escalation.