South Sudan party withdraws from key peace agreement

A key party in South Sudan's coalition government has paused its involvement in an important part of a 2018 peace deal. This announcement came on Tuesday as tensions grew between Riek Machar, the party's leader and First Vice President, and President Salva Kiir. Their relationship has worsened due to recent clashes and the arrest of several officials. The peace agreement ended a five-year war between Kiir's and Machar's forces. However, recent events have strained this fragile peace. Earlier this month, security forces arrested several SPLM-IO officials, including the petroleum minister and the deputy head of the army, after conflicts involving the White Army militia. This group is composed mainly of Nuer youths, who are allies of Machar. Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, the SPLM-IO's deputy chairman, stated that the party would not take part in security arrangements of the peace process until the detained officials were freed. He criticized ongoing political actions that threaten the integrity of the peace deal. The conflict in the area around Nasir has displaced around 50,000 people since late February, with 10,000 fleeing to Ethiopia, according to the UN. Concerns are rising about the potential for South Sudan to slip back into civil war, especially with rampant hate speech and misinformation circulating among the public. Experts believe that the ongoing war in neighboring Sudan is also contributing to the breakdown of the peace process in South Sudan. They warn that rising regional tensions and the flow of arms across the border could exacerbate the situation.