SOUTH SUDAN: Kenya Writes To Kiir After Riek Machar’s Arrest
The Kenyan government has made an appeal to all parties involved in the Revitalised Agreement on Conflict Resolution in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
Kenya urged them to take quick steps to avoid conflicts from escalating in the country.
This call comes as concerns rise about the precarious state of peace in South Sudan, which has been plagued by sporadic bloodshed and political instability.
Korir Sing’oei, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, underlined the crucial need to implement the R-ARCSS rules in order to end years of destructive violence.
A very concerning development. We implore all parties to the R-ARCSS in South Sudan to do more to prevent an escalation of hostilities. @ForeignOfficeKE https://t.co/BgwXz8SzfZ
— Korir Sing'Oei (@SingoeiAKorir) March 27, 2025
Korir was responding to the United Nations’ official announcement on South Sudan’s First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar’s imprisonment.
According to reports, a convoy of heavily armed cars approached Machar’s mansion in Juba, disarmed his security detail, and seized him on vague accusations.
The incarceration is seen as part of rising tensions between Machar and President Salva Kiir, whose power-sharing deal has come under scrutiny.
Machar’s party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), criticized the detention, warning that it might jeopardize the fragile peace talks.
The SPLM-IO has released a full statement concerning the detention of its leader, Dr. Riek Machar.
— Daniel Garang Deng 🇸🇸 (@DanielGarang9) March 27, 2025
The government has yet to issue a statement. ✍️ pic.twitter.com/URxilCjLsM
Following the developments, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) expressed serious worry about the situation, saying that the country is on the verge of civil war.
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UNMISS urged all parties to display caution, suspend hostilities, and recommit to the R-ARCSS in order to avoid further escalation.
“Tonight, the country’s leaders stand on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict or taking the country forward towards peace, recovery, and democracy in the spirit of consensus that was reached in 2018 when they signed the R-ARCSS,” the statement by UNMISS read in part.
“Unilateral amendments by parties to that agreement that jeopardise 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,” UNMISS continued.
For a while now, Kenya has remained committed to ensuring there is peace and stability in South Sudan.
SOUTH SUDAN: Kenya Writes To Kiir After Riek Machar’s Arrest
