Knives Are Out: Tensions Rise in South Sudan Amid Vice Presidential Detention

South Sudan, having recently emerged from a fragile peace following years of conflict, is once again on the brink of violence as Vice President Riek Machar faces detention under dire circumstances.

Riek Machar, the vice president of South Sudan, remains confined to his residence in an upscale area of Juba, with security forces blocking access and monitoring the premises. Since his detention began in March, Machar has experienced isolation, deprived of communication devices, while his wife, who is a government minister, is permitted to prepare meals for him but cannot deliver them personally.

Following its 2011 independence, South Sudan quickly descended into civil strife, primarily between Machar and President Salva Kiir. Though they formed a unity government in 2020 aimed at stabilizing the nation and preparing for elections, those efforts are now in jeopardy as Machar faces accusations of inciting rebellion through a militia called the White Army, a group implicated in the destruction of a UN helicopter earlier this year.

With the absence of a succession plan and escalating violence, there are growing concerns that South Sudan may revert to widespread conflict, prompting a potential refugee crisis that could disrupt neighboring countries already grappling with their own issues of war and famine. Uganda has already intervened militarily to support Kiir's administration.

"The situation in South Sudan is critical," stated Puok Both Baluang, acting for Machar's press team, describing the vice president's detention as unconstitutional and a violation of his rights. Analysts warn that if the current tensions persist, South Sudan's tenuous peace might swiftly disintegrate, igniting a new chapter of conflict in a nation that still bears the scars of its tumultuous history.