The United Nations (UN) has issued a warning about the potential for a renewed civil war in South Sudan after the arrest of Vice President Dr. Riek Machar.
This development has raised significant concerns about the stability of the country, which has already endured years of conflict.
The UN is urging all parties to uphold the peace agreement signed in 2018 to prevent further escalation and ensure the fragile peace holds. It estimated that about 400, 000 people died during the conflict.
South Sudan’s main opposition party has confirmed that its leader, Machar, was arrested, raising concerns about the fragile peace in the country.
The U.N. had already expressed concerns earlier this week that South Sudan was on the brink of a renewed conflict, following escalating violence between government forces and an armed group aligned with Machar in the northern part of the country.
In a statement issued on March 26, 2025, the opposition spokesperson Pal Mai Deng revealed that Machar was in government custody, with his life reportedly at risk.
Nicholas Haysom, the head of the U.N. mission in South Sudan, urged all parties involved to exercise restraint and adhere to the Revitalized Peace Agreement, which was designed to bring stability to the country after the five-year civil war. The 2018 agreement saw Machar and President Salva Kiir form a unity government, but tensions between their respective factions have been steadily rising.
In March, the situation escalated when the White Army, a militia loyal to Machar, overran a government military base in Upper Nile state and attacked a U.N. helicopter.
In response, the government launched airstrikes, warning civilians in the area to evacuate or face the consequences.
Since then, more than a dozen lives have been lost, and the U.N. has raised alarms about the potential for full-scale civil war unless the country’s leaders prioritize peace over conflict.
The international community is watching closely, hoping that South Sudan’s leaders will set aside personal and political differences to protect the hard-earned peace and prevent the country from sliding back into violence.
