S.Sudan army arrests general, 'violates peace deal': vice-president

AFP | London
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South Sudan's military has arrested the deputy head of the armed forces and surrounded the residence of Vice President Riek Machar, escalating tensions and threatening the fragile peace agreement, Machar’s spokesperson reported late Tuesday.

General Gabriel Doup Lam, a close ally of Machar, was detained on Tuesday following several days of clashes in the Upper Nile state, located in the eastern part of the country.

The South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), loyal to President Salva Kiir, accused Doup Lam and his troops of collaborating with rebels in the region, which are largely from the same ethnic Nuer community as Lam.

Machar's spokesperson, Pal Mai Deng, issued a statement condemning the arrest, stating that it "violates" the 2018 power-sharing agreement that ended five years of civil war.

“This action puts the entire agreement at risk,” the statement said, expressing serious concerns over the heavy deployment of SSPDF troops around Machar’s residence.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan reported last month that clashes between the army and armed youth in the Upper Nile state have intensified, with heavy weaponry being used, leading to civilian casualties and injuries among armed personnel.

The 2018 peace deal brought an end to a devastating civil war fueled by the rivalry between Kiir and Machar, which resulted in nearly 400,000 deaths.

South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan just two years before the outbreak of the civil war, continues to struggle with poverty and ongoing violence.