Juba, South Sudan| South Sudan’s tenuous peace process is under serious threat as escalating violence and deepening political tensions risk reversing years of hard-fought progress, a United Nations human rights body warned on Saturday.
The statement comes in the wake of a series of high-profile arrests targeting officials aligned with the country’s Vice President, Riek Machar, and a deadly attack on a United Nations helicopter.
UN Sounds Alarm on Deteriorating Situation
Yasmin Sooka, chairperson of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, expressed grave concern over the latest developments, cautioning that the country is experiencing “an alarming regression” that could jeopardize the fragile stability achieved since a 2018 peace deal ended a brutal civil war.
“Rather than fueling division and conflict, leaders must urgently refocus on the peace process, uphold the human rights of South Sudanese citizens, and ensure a smooth transition to democracy,” Sooka said in a statement.
The warning from the U.N. follows the arrests earlier this month of two government ministers and several high-ranking military officials affiliated with Machar.
The detentions, carried out by security forces loyal to President Salva Kiir, have heightened fears that the already fragile political balance between Kiir and Machar is unraveling.
Fears Over the Fate of the 2018 Peace Deal
The arrests are the latest sign of growing friction between the rival camps, raising alarm over the viability of the 2018 peace agreement that ended a devastating five-year conflict.
That war, fought between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar, resulted in the deaths of nearly 400,000 people and left millions displaced.
The peace accord, though fragile, had managed to maintain relative stability and set South Sudan on a path toward democratic transition.
However, political disputes and recurring clashes between armed factions have cast a shadow over the agreement’s implementation, with analysts warning that the country is inching closer to renewed conflict.
UN Helicopter Attacked Amid Rescue Mission
Further exacerbating tensions, a United Nations helicopter conducting a rescue operation came under attack on Friday, leading to the death of one crew member and injuries to two others.
The aircraft was attempting to evacuate soldiers caught in violent clashes in an undisclosed location when it was fired upon.
In addition to the helicopter attack, a high-ranking South Sudanese army general was reportedly killed in the failed rescue mission, according to a statement from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Calls for Calm Amid Rising Tensions
In an attempt to de-escalate the situation, President Kiir issued a statement late Friday urging calm and assuring the nation that South Sudan would not return to war. Despite his calls for restraint, fears persist that tensions between rival factions could spiral out of control.
The African Union (AU) also weighed in on the crisis, issuing a strong condemnation of the violence. In a statement released on Saturday, the AU expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security situation, calling for an “immediate end to the hostilities” and urging all parties to recommit to the peace process.
Uncertain Future for South Sudan
As political and security conditions continue to deteriorate, South Sudan faces a critical juncture.
With the country preparing for its first elections since independence in 2011, unresolved disputes between Kiir and Machar threaten to derail the transition to democracy.
The recent escalation underscores the fragility of the peace deal and the urgent need for international mediation to prevent a slide back into full-scale conflict.
The U.N. and regional bodies, including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), have called for renewed dialogue to salvage the peace process and prevent South Sudan from plunging into another devastating war.
For now, the country remains on edge, with the coming weeks likely to determine whether it will move forward on the path to stability or be pulled back into violence.
(Some information for this report was sourced from Reuters and Agence France-Presse.)
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