NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 27 – Kenya has expressed concern over the latest developments in South Sudan following reports of the detention of the country’s First Vice President, Riek Machar.
In a statement on Thursday, Kenya urged all parties involved to prioritize peace and adhere to the ongoing agreements under the Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s (IGAD) Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
“The Kenyan government calls on all parties in South Sudan to prioritize peace in the country by giving room to the ongoing peace agreements under the auspices of IGAD’s Revitalized Agreement,” said Mudavadi Mudavadi, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
Mudavadi, who also serves as the Prime Cabinet Secretary, urged South Sudanese leaders to exercise restraint and cease hostilities.
He called on the warring parties to uphold the Revitalized Peace Agreement in the interest of millions of South Sudan citizens.
Machar, a long-time rival of President Salva Kiir, was placed under house arrest on Wednesday, according to his party.
House arrest
The BBC reported that the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM/IO) disclosed that an armed convoy led by top security officials, including the defense minister, entered Machar’s residence in the capital, Juba, and disarmed his bodyguards late on Wednesday.
“Technically, Dr. Machar is under house arrest, but the security officials initially tried to take him away,” said Reath Muoch Tang, Chairman of the party’s foreign relations committee.
Machar and Kiir had agreed in August 2018 to end a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people.
However, over the last seven years, their relationship has become increasingly strained amid ethnic tensions and sporadic violence.
The SPLM/IO also stated that Machar was detained alongside his wife, Angelina Teny, who serves as South Sudan’s Interior Minister.
Kenya has been a key player in regional peace efforts, particularly in South Sudan, and continues to advocate for stability in the region.
The government’s latest appeal comes amid growing tensions in Juba, raising fears of a potential setback in the fragile peace process.
On March 12, the 43rd Extraordinary Assembly of IGAD Heads of State and Government convened virtually to address the security situation in South Sudan.
The Summit was chaired by Djibouti’s President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, the Chairperson of the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
It was attended by Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Timothewos (representing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed), and Kenya’s National Security Advisor Monica Juma (representing President William Ruto), among others.
During the meeting, the participants reaffirmed R-ARCSS of 2018 as the cornerstone of the peace process in South Sudan.
They also emphasized that dialogue and discussion remain the only means for resolving differences.
