The United States has called on South Sudan President Salva Kiir to release First Vice President Riek Machar, who is reportedly under house arrest.
The US Bureau of African Affairs expressed concern over the situation, urging Kiir to reverse the action and prevent further escalation.
Machar’s SPLM-IO party stated that the defense minister and chief of national security “forcefully entered” Machar’s residence and delivered an arrest warrant.
Machar is accused of being implicated in fighting between the military and White Army in Nasir, Upper Nile State.
The United Nations has warned of a potential resurgence of ethnic conflict, citing recent clashes and a rise in hate speech.
The peace deal between Kiir and Machar, which ended the 2013-2018 civil war, is at risk of collapse.
The US, along with other countries, has expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in South Sudan.
The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has called for restraint, warning that the country’s leaders are on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict.
