Riek Machar Teeny, first vice president of South Sudan, and chairman of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army. |File Photo|.
The main opposition group, Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement In-Opposition (SPLA/M-IO), on Thursday, 27 March, confirmed to this news outlet the arrest of Riek Machar Teny, the first vice president, and his spouse, Angelina Jany Teny, who is also the country’ interior minister.
The First Deputy Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, the deputy chairman of the SPLA/M-IO, explained that at around 9:45 PM CAT, senior security personnel from the National Security Services, Tiger Division, and the SSPDF (South Sudan People’s Defence Forces), acting under the directives of President Salva Kiir Mayardit, breached the residence of Riek Machar and put him and his wife Hon. Angelina Teny, the minister of interior under house arrest in Juba.
Riek Machar is the founder and chairman of SPLM/A-IO, one of the parties that signed the 2018 revitalized peace agreement. The agreement managed to maintain relative peace in South Sudan in the last 7 years since its signing and subsequent formation of the coalition government led by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, and First Vice President Riek Machar, and five other deputy vice presidents.
Nathaniel said all the protocols and close protection of the Riek Machar have also been arrested and moved to separate locations.
He said the arrest and detention of Riek Machar effectively brought the peace agreement to a collapse thus, the prospect for peace and stability in South Sudan has now been put into serious jeopardy.
“Consequently, we would like to declare that with the arrest and detention of Riek Machar Teny, the 2018 peace agreement has been abrogated. This arrest by President Salva Kiir is an act of deceit, breaking promises, dishonoring agreements, and the lack of political will to bring peace and stability to the country,” Nathaniel said.
“We would also like to inform the public about the ongoing air and ground military attacks on Cantonments sites and training centers of Wunliet, Aswa, and Rejaf training Centre, respectively, which constitute a serious violation and breakdown of the Permanent Ceasefire and the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CHA) 2017,” he stressed.
He called on the members of IGAD, the African Union, C5 Countries, and the UN to protect the revitalized peace agreement and ensure the safety and immediate release of Riek Machar, the country’s first vice president, and Interior Minister, Angelina Jany Teny, and all other political detainees without any precondition.
Speaking from an undisclosed location, the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Pal Mai Deng, said the life of his leader, Riek Machar, is at risk and warned that any attempt on his life would complicate the situation in the country.
Mai called on the African Union, IGAD, and the international community at large to guarantee the safety of Machar and all other political detainees.
“The life of Riek Machar is at risk because he is in confinement by the government. We believe Riek Machar was not captured by the government soldiers on the battlefield in 2014. In the past few days, we have been under a series of attacks by the Ugandan occupation forces and SPLM-IG newly recruited militias. This act of aggression by the SPLM-IG and its allies has put the revitalized peace agreement at risk. We want our SPLA-IO forces to be on maximum alert for self-defense,” Mai lamented.
“Any attempt on Machar’s life would complicate the situation in our country. It will kill the spirit of national healing and reconciliation in the future, and it will also be an obstacle to nation-building. We would like to assure the international community that Machar’s physical safety is paramount if you want South Sudan to be a state,” he added.
Amid the escalating military conflict, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) called on all parties to exercise restraint and uphold the revitalized peace agreement.
Nicholas Haysom, the head of the UNMISS, said South Sudan’s leaders stand on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict or taking the country forward toward peace, recovery, and democracy in the spirit of the consensus that was reached in 2018 when they signed and committed to implementing a Revitalized Peace Agreement.
“Unilateral amendments by parties to that agreement that jeopardize the hard-won gains of the past seven years risk returning the country back into a state of war. This will not only devastate South Sudan but also affect the entire region,” Haysom warned.
He urged the parties to immediately cease hostilities and engage in constructive dialogue that puts the best interests of their people at the forefront of this pivotal moment for the world’s newest nation.
Meanwhile, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), expressed alarm over reports of the house arrest of Riek Machar, and the escalating political tensions in South Sudan.
These developments seriously undermine the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and risk plunging the country back into violent conflict,” IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu said.
Gebeyehu called on all parties to immediately refrain from unilateral actions that violate the spirit and letter of the peace agreement, which remains the only viable framework for sustainable peace in South Sudan.
Gebeyehu said the current trajectory, if unchecked, could lead to a collapse of the transitional process and a relapse into full-scale war, with devastating consequences for the people of South Sudan and the region at large.
He urged all signatories to the peace agreement to exercise maximum restraint, prioritize dialogue, and resolve differences through inclusive and peaceful means.
He reiterated IGAD’s readiness to support mediation efforts and called upon regional and international partners to reinforce the imperative of preserving peace in South Sudan.
“The people of South Sudan deserve lasting stability, not a return to conflict. IGAD reaffirms its commitment to the full implementation of the R-ARCSS and urges all stakeholders to act responsibly in the interest of peace and national unity,” Gebeyehu emphasized.
However, the US Department of State: Bureau of African Affairs said President Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar must engage in direct dialogue to curb escalating violence in South Sudan.
The US government said non-state militia attacks, govt-backed airstrikes, and promotion of sanctioned officials to high office are deeply concerning.
Efforts by this news outlets to reach out to the government’s spokesperson, Michael Makuei Lueth, have been futile during the press time.
