South Sudan deployed a heavy security presence around the residence of First Vice President, Riek Machar on Tuesday, following the detention of General Gabriel Duop Lam, the acting chief of staff of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO), according to sources and an SPLA-IO statement.
The SPLA-IO strongly condemned Duop Lam’s detention, accusing the Chief of Defence Forces of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), General Paul Nang, of orchestrating the arrest in violation of the 2018 peace agreement.
In a statement released on Tuesday night, the armed opposition group expressed “grave concern” over the security deployment near Machar’s residence.
“We are gravely concerned about the heavy deployment of SSPDF forces around the residence of H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, the First Vice President and Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLM/A (IO),” the statement read.
The SPLA-IO argued that the deployment not only breaches trust but also threatens ongoing efforts to de-escalate violence in Upper Nile State.
“These actions erode confidence among the parties and jeopardize efforts to de-escalate the violence that erupted in Nasir County, Upper Nile State,” said SPLM-IO spokesman and Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Pal Mai Deng.
The opposition group accused General Paul Nang of violating the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) by arresting Duop Lam, who also serves as deputy chief of defence forces for the SSPDF and co-chair of the Joint Defence Board (JDB).
“This morning, Lt. Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, Deputy Chief of Defence Forces of the SSPDF, Acting Chief of Staff of the SPLA-IO, and Co-Chair of the Joint Defence Board, was arrested by Gen. Paul Nang,” the statement said.
The SPLA-IO warned that this act threatens the peace process by undermining the JDB, a key institution responsible for coordinating the country’s security forces.
“This action cripples the Joint Defence Board, a vital institution of the peace agreement responsible for the command and control of all forces. This act puts the entire agreement at risk,” it added.
The group called for an immediate withdrawal of security forces from Machar’s residence and the unconditional release of Duop Lam. It also urged international peace agreement guarantors to intervene and prevent further escalation.
“The SPLM (IO) demands the release of Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam and urges all parties to redouble efforts to end the violence in Upper Nile State. We call upon the agreement’s guarantors and international partners to intervene to prevent a return to full-scale conflict,” the statement read.
Reaffirming its commitment to peace, the SPLM-IO concluded by stating its dedication to fully implementing the agreement.
There was no immediate response from the South Sudanese government or the SSPDF regarding the security deployment or the detention.
