Calls for Justice Amidst Turmoil: South Sudan’s Ongoing Struggle

The main opposition group in South Sudan has demanded an international investigation into alleged rights abuses by government troops targeting areas loyal to opposition leader Riek Machar. This violence threatens the 2018 peace deal and underscores the enduring political rivalry between Machar and President Salva Kiir.

The opposition in South Sudan has called for an international investigation into alleged human rights violations in recent clashes. These allegations include government forces targeting key areas loyal to opposition leader Riek Machar, a move that risks destabilizing the fragile 2018 peace agreement.

Riek Machar, South Sudan's vice president, and a central figure in the country's political landscape, is under house arrest amidst accusations of subversion. Fighting has intensified in the north since March, with government troops and the rebel White Army, allegedly allied with Machar, clashing fiercely. The opposition accuses the government of employing airstrikes with chemical weapons, an assertion requiring international scrutiny.

The fighting threatens the 2018 peace accord between Machar and President Salva Kiir, intended to end a protracted civil war that has severely affected the nation. Both leaders are locked in a rivalry rooted in ethnic divisions, which has continually destabilized efforts for lasting peace in the resource-rich country.

(With inputs from agencies.)