South Sudan’s First Vice President, Dr Riek Machar, is reportedly facing severe hardships after his residence was allegedly cut off from electricity and running water. According to SPLM-IO Deputy Chairman Hon. Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, who spoke to the BBC’s Focus on Africa in Nairobi, the conditions imposed on Machar are “absolutely unfair,” stressing that even his wife has been unable to access him despite being within the same compound.
Machar, along with several political allies, has been under house arrest since March, following deadly clashes in Nasir between government forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and the White Army youth. The government accused the armed youth of supporting Machar, a claim he has strongly denied.
Oyet further alleged that the government has been using financial influence to silence regional bodies, worsening Machar’s plight. He emphasised that the SPLM-IO leadership has followed peace procedures, yet their chairman remains restricted. “The international community must continue to put pressure on the government to release Dr Machar so that the parties can return to the negotiation table,” Oyet urged.
AU Efforts Blocked
The African Union has dispatched delegations to Juba multiple times in an attempt to meet both President Kiir and Dr Machar. However, Oyet claimed that government authorities repeatedly blocked access to the vice president, further undermining peace efforts.
A History of Tense Relations
Relations between President Kiir and Dr Machar have been strained since December 2013, when Kiir accused his then-deputy of orchestrating a coup attempt—a claim Machar rejected during negotiations in Addis Ababa. Although Machar returned to Juba in 2016 to take part in a power-sharing arrangement, renewed fighting forced him to flee to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The latest restrictions on his movement and wellbeing highlight the fragile state of South Sudan’s peace process, with growing concerns that the stalemate could derail reconciliation efforts and fuel instability.
