South Africa has expressed deep concern over escalating tensions in South Sudan, urging “maximum restraint” and dialogue to defuse the situation.
The statement follows reports of the house arrest of South Sudanese First Vice President Riek Machar in Juba on Wednesday night.
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, pointed out South Africa’s solidarity with the people of South Sudan, stressing the importance of collective efforts to conclude the transitional period and ensure inclusive elections by 2026.
“We call upon all stakeholders in South Sudan to prioritise a peaceful resolution to the crisis,” said Lamola.
“We further urge all parties to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) to create the necessary conditions for the effective implementation of the agreement.”
South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011 following decades of struggle and a protracted peace process, has navigated a precarious path between restoring peace and enduring instability, most notably in 2013 and more recently in 2016, when widespread conflict triggered the initiation of internal peace processes.
Government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth Makuei blamed Machar for clashes in recent weeks in Nasir County, accusing him of “agitating” his forces “to rebel against the government with the aim of disrupting peace so that elections are not held, and South Sudan goes back to war”.
He called on the public “to be calm and maintain peace,” adding that Machar and his allies “will be investigated and brought to book”.
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