By Spy Uganda Correspondent
Juba, South Sudan – Tensions in South Sudan continue to escalate following the arrest of several senior members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), the party led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar. The latest in the string of arrests is National Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol, who was detained by operatives from the National Security Service (NSS) on Thursday afternoon.
Confirming the development, Puok Both Baluang, Machar’s acting press secretary, stated that Minister Par was picked up from his office at 3:30 p.m., along with his secretary. The reason for his arrest remains unclear, but it comes at a time of heightened political and military tensions.
“He was arrested from his office about 30 minutes ago with his secretary by operatives of the National Security Service,” Baluang disclosed.
A Series of High-Profile Arrests
Minister Par’s detention is the latest in a widening crackdown on SPLM-IO leaders and military officials. The wave of arrests follows an attack on Nasir Town in Upper Nile State on Tuesday by the White Army, a Nuer armed youth group. The group managed to seize control of the town, intensifying already fragile political relations in Juba.
Following the Nasir clashes, several top military officers from Machar’s faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) were detained at the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) headquarters in Juba. Among them was Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, a high-ranking commander serving as the co-chair of the Joint Defense Board (JDB), Deputy Chief of Staff of the SSPDF, and acting Chief of Staff of the SPLA-IO.
Additionally, several other senior SPLA-IO officers have been placed under house arrest, including:
- Gen. Koang Gatkuoth Kerjiok, Inspector General of the SSPDF
- Gen. Wesley Welebe, Assistant Chief of Staff for Supply
- Gen. Ashhab Khamis Fahal, Assistant Chief of Staff for Moral Orientation
- Gen. Garang Ayii Akol, Director General of Procurement at the Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs
The arrests are not limited to military figures. In the early hours of Wednesday, South Sudan’s Petroleum Minister Puot Kang was also detained from his residence in the Thongpiny suburb of Juba. His press secretary, Sirir Gabriel, confirmed his detention but provided no details regarding the cause.
Government Justifies the Arrests
Addressing the growing concerns, Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth, a senior member of President Salva Kiir’s SPLM party, defended the actions of security forces. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Makuei stated that the detained officials were arrested because they had violated the law.
However, he did not elaborate on the specific allegations against them, leaving many questioning whether these arrests are a law enforcement action or a politically motivated move against Machar’s faction.
These arrests come at a precarious time for South Sudan’s 2018 peace agreement, which ended years of civil war but remains shaky. The detention of senior SPLM-IO officials raises serious concerns about the stability of the unity government and the trust between Machar’s camp and President Kiir’s administration.
Observers fear that the escalating tensions and mass arrests could lead to a collapse of the peace deal and a return to full-scale conflict. With the country’s first-ever elections scheduled for 2026, the political landscape is becoming increasingly volatile.
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