Arrest of General Duop Lam Raises Alarms Over South Sudan’s Peace Deal

Concerns arise over South Sudan’s peace deal following the arrest of General Gabriel Duop Lam, a close ally of Vice-President Riek Machar. The government accuses him of supporting local rebels, intensifying ethnic and political tensions. The situation has led to clashes and casualties in Upper Nile state, raising alarm about the ongoing instability in the young nation that gained independence in 2011.

The recent arrest of General Gabriel Duop Lam, the deputy head of South Sudan’s armed forces, has raised alarms regarding the nation’s fragile peace deal. Surrounding Vice-President Riek Machar’s residence, the military action is a response to reported clashes in the Upper Nile state. The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), supporting President Salva Kiir, accused Lam of complicity with regional rebels associated with Machar, who is of the Nuer ethnic group.

Pal Mai Deng, spokesperson for Machar, condemned the arrest as a breach of the 2018 power-sharing agreement that concluded the country’s five-year civil conflict. This agreement was crucial in fostering a fragile peace after the civil war, which resulted in approximately 400,000 deaths and severe humanitarian crises.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan has recently documented an increase in violence within Upper Nile state, highlighting clashes between state forces and armed youth in Nassir. These confrontations have involved significant weaponry and have led to both civilian and military casualties, indicating a severe escalation of the conflict.

Despite the 2018 peace accord aiming to mitigate the violent rivalry between Kiir and Machar, tensions continue to undermine stability. The ongoing violence illustrates the complexities and challenges faced by South Sudan, a nation that gained independence from Sudan in 2011 and is still navigating the repercussions of its tumultuous past.

The arrest of General Duop Lam and ongoing violence pose significant threats to South Sudan’s fragile peace agreement established in 2018. This situation reveals the persistent ethnic tensions and power struggles that continue to destabilize the nation, originally formed in the aftermath of a devastating civil war. As the international community watches closely, the future of South Sudan’s stability remains uncertain without cohesive efforts to address these underlying issues.

Original Source: newscentral.africa