South Sudan Party Suspends Peace Process Amid Growing Political Tensions
A key party in South Sudan’s coalition government has suspended its participation in the peace process due to deteriorating relations between leaders Riek Machar and Salva Kiir. Clashes and detentions of SPLM-IO officials have heightened political tensions. Concerns are rising over potential civil war as hate speech increases and the conflict in neighboring Sudan exacerbates instability.
On Tuesday, a significant party within the coalition government of South Sudan announced its suspension from a critical aspect of the 2018 peace agreement, reflecting deteriorating relations between its leader Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir. This accords followed a five-year conflict between Kiir’s forces and Machar’s, who currently serves as First Vice President and heads the SPLM-IO party. Recent clashes have exacerbated tensions between the two leaders.
In early March, security forces detained several prominent SPLM-IO officials, including the Minister of Petroleum and the Deputy Head of Armies, following military engagements with the White Army militia in the eastern region of Nasir. The South Sudan government has implicated the SPLM-IO in collusion with the White Army, comprised mostly of Nuer ethnic youths, a claim the party refutes.
Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, the Deputy Chairman of the SPLM-IO, stated that the party would refrain from engaging in security measures associated with the peace process until those detained are freed. He emphasized that “the ongoing political witch-hunts continue to threaten the very essence and the existence of the (peace deal).”
Since late February, conflict in the Upper Nile state has resulted in the displacement of around 50,000 individuals, with 10,000 seeking refuge in Ethiopia, as reported by the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, Anita Kiki Gbeho.
Nicholas Haysom, the UN peacekeeping chief in South Sudan, expressed concerns about the nation’s precarious situation, stating that it teeters “on the brink of relapse into civil war.” He highlighted the increasing incidence of hate speech fueled by misinformation, which could potentially ignite ethnic conflict.
Analysts suggest that the ongoing conflict in neighboring Sudan may have intensified the frail peace process in South Sudan, with oil revenue interruptions and rising tensions leading to an influx of arms across the border. According to Alan Boswell from the International Crisis Group, the spillover fighting from the Sudan war is already evident in Upper Nile, posing challenges for stability in the capital, Juba.
The recent developments in South Sudan underscore the fragility of the 2018 peace agreement amid escalating tensions between political leaders and the arrest of SPLM-IO officials. The ongoing conflict and instability in neighboring Sudan further complicate the situation, with fears mounting of a potential relapse into civil war. Efforts to address hate speech and misinformation are critical in maintaining peace and security in the country.
Original Source: www.straitstimes.com
