South Sudan opposition says general’s arrest violates peace accord

The arrest of a senior army general from South Sudan’s main opposition faction is a “grave violation” of the peace deal that ended the country’s five-year civil war, an opposition spokesperson told the BBC on Thursday.

General Gabriel Duop Lam, along with several other senior officials of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), was detained earlier this week. The detainees are key allies of Vice-President Riek Machar, whose long-standing political feud with President Salva Kiir ignited South Sudan’s devastating conflict in 2013.

The SPLM-IO has expressed outrage over the arrests, arguing that they undermine the fragile peace agreement signed in 2018, which brought an uneasy truce between Machar and Kiir.

On Thursday morning, Machar’s spokesperson stated that the party had no information on the whereabouts or condition of the detained officials.

“This is a direct threat to the implementation of the peace process,” the spokesperson said, urging the government to immediately release the detainees or provide a legal justification for their detention.

The arrests come amid growing tensions between Kiir’s ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and Machar’s SPLM-IO. Despite the power-sharing government established under the peace deal, relations between the two factions remain fraught, with periodic clashes reported in various parts of the country.

Political analysts warn that the latest incident could further destabilize the already fragile situation in South Sudan, where delays in implementing key provisions of the peace accord—including security sector reforms and elections—have fueled uncertainty.

“The arrest of opposition figures at a time when the country should be focusing on reconciliation and democratic transition is deeply concerning,” said a regional political expert.

“If not addressed swiftly, this could lead to renewed political hostilities.”

The international community, including the United Nations and regional mediators, has yet to officially respond to the arrests. However, South Sudan’s peace process has been under close scrutiny, with international partners urging both sides to uphold their commitments.

As pressure mounts on the government to clarify the status of the detainees, all eyes will be on how President Kiir’s administration navigates this latest crisis. The SPLM-IO has warned that failure to resolve the issue peacefully could have dire consequences for the country’s stability.