Tension Rise as South Sudan Arrests Key Officials

South Sudanese forces have arrested the Petroleum Minister and senior military officials linked to Vice President Riek Machar, threatening the fragile peace deal. Conflicting relationships between Machar and President Kiir continue to cause political instability, despite the formal peace achieved in 2018.

NAIROBI, March 5 - In a move that could destabilize the country's fragile peace, South Sudanese forces have arrested the Petroleum Minister and several senior military officials associated with First Vice President Riek Machar, according to a spokesperson from the vice president's office.

This development poses a significant threat to the peace agreement brokered in 2018 that ended South Sudan's brutal five-year civil war. Though peace was officially achieved, tensions persist between Machar and President Salva Kiir, and violent clashes among rival communities are frequent.

Machar's spokesperson, Puok Both Baluang, revealed that alongside the Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol, the deputy head of the army was also detained, with other military officials placed under house arrest. South Sudanese troops have surrounded Machar's residence, although he managed to attend his office on Wednesday.

(With inputs from agencies.)