South Sudan on Edge as Vice President Riek Machar Arrested

The arrest of Vice President Machar by government forces threatens the fragile 2018 peace agreement, raising fears of renewed civil war in the world's youngest nation.

Vice President Riek Machar was arrested at his residence in Juba by heavily armed government forces, escalating tensions between him and President Salva Kiir.
The SPLM-IO party condemned the arrest as unconstitutional and a violation of the 2018 peace agreement, which ended a five-year civil war that killed 400,000 people.
Clashes between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar have intensified, with attacks reported on SPLA-IO training bases near Juba and ongoing conflict in Upper Nile State.
The United Nations has warned that South Sudan is on the brink of widespread conflict, urging restraint and adherence to the peace deal to prevent devastating regional consequences.
International actors, including the United States, have called for Machar's release, while several nations have closed embassies or reduced staffing in Juba due to escalating violence.