Riek Machar’s Arrest Is an Implementation of the Peace Agreement, Says Vice President Taban Deng Gai

By Deng Ghai Deng

JUBA, South Sudan — May 27, 2025 — The arrest and continued detention of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar marks a “critical step” in implementing the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan or R-ARCSS, according to Vice President Taban Deng Gai, who also chairs the country’s Infrastructure Cluster.

Speaking to the media following a high-level meeting with President Salva Kiir at the State House on Monday, Gai emphasized that Machar’s detention is not a derailment of the 2018 peace agreement but a reinforcement of law and order.

“And I explained to them the issue of the house arrest of Dr. Riek Machar that it doesn’t mean any problem on the implementation of peace,” Gai stated. “Instead, it is the implementation of peace because it’s a message to the populace and people of South Sudan, whether it’s high-ranking officials, that people must abide by the law, don’t go into conflict with the law,”

Gai’s remarks, however, come amid growing domestic and international concern. The SPLM-IO leader was arrested in March after the government linked him to the deadly attack in Upper Nile State’s Nasir County, where the White Army reportedly killed Maj. Gen. David Majur Dak and 27 of his soldiers. Machar, along with senior SPLM-IO officials including Puot Kang Chol, remains in detention. Several other party members have reportedly fled the country or gone into hiding due to fear of government reprisals.

The Vice President’s defense of Machar’s detention contrasts sharply with regional and international sentiment. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development or IGAD, along with the United Nations and other key stakeholders in South Sudan’s peace process, have urged Machar’s immediate release, warning that his continued confinement could unravel the fragile gains made under R-ARCSS.

Dr. Machar, who played a central role in negotiating the peace agreement, is recognized under the deal as a key stakeholder and signatory. His sidelining has raised questions about the inclusivity and sustainability of the current political arrangement.

Analysts warn that without meaningful dialogue and full participation from all signatories, particularly Machar’s SPLM-IO faction, South Sudan risks backsliding into conflict.

Despite this, Gai maintained that the government’s actions are lawful and necessary for national unity.

The future of the peace agreement hangs in the balance, time ahead will be critical in determining whether South Sudan can stay on the path toward stability and reconciliation—or if political fractures will again plunge the nation into turmoil.