The United States government has demanded the release of South Sudan's main opposition leader, who also serves as the First Vice President, Riek Machar. Machar is said to have been arrested on Wednesday, according to his party.
The arrest comes amid escalating tensions amid failed numerous peace initiatives led by President William Ruto.
On Wednesday, a convoy consisting of 20 heavily armed vehicles reportedly stormed the residence of South Sudan's first vice president in Juba, where they disarmed his security personnel. This incident was described by Machar's Sudan People's Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLM-IO) party, which also noted that the country's defence minister and chief of national security were present in the convoy that brought an arrest warrant for the vice president.
First Vice President Riek Machar leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) Photo South Sudan News Agency In a statement shared on Facebook, Reath Muoch Tang, chairman of Machar's foreign relations committee, confirmed the arrest, terming the actions as "unconstitutional." "An arrest warrant was delivered to him under unclear charges," Muoch Tang said.
