Peace monitor urges release of detained opposition officials
By Denis Ejulu
The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) on Thursday called on the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) led by President Salva Kiir to release all detained opposition officials in a bid to restore lost trust and avoid risk of full blown conflict.
The peace monitoring body in it’s latest report covering the 2nd quarter of the year (1st April to 30th June 2025, has urged the transitional government to resolve the issues surrounding the house arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar and other senior officials of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-in opposition (SPLM/A-IO).
It notes that the release of the opposition officials would be inline with the communiqué of the 1283rd meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC), aimed to ensure the functionality of all the institutions and mechanisms charged with implementing the now fragile 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
“In order to kick start this process, there must be a restoration of trust, which necessarily involves releasing of the SPLM/A-IO detainees and restoring full and inclusive participation of all parties in the various Agreement institutions and mechanisms,” says the report released in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
It says that key provisions of the revitalized peace agreement faced severe setbacks during the reporting period, with progress largely stalled and the risk of renewed conflict increasing.
“The general political and security situation in the Republic of South Sudan continued to deteriorate, with the permanent ceasefire severely compromised by repeated clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and the SPLA-IO, along with their allied forces,” the report says.
It notes that heightened political tension persisted during the reporting period, following the continued house arrest of Machar, and the detention of other high-ranking SPLM/A-IO members.
“This only serves to deepen mistrust among key parties to the R-ARCSS and undermine confidence of the people of South Sudan, the region and international community on the commitment of the parties to the implementation of the Agreement in letter and spirit,” it says.
The report also observes that the unilateral dismissals and appointments undertaken without the requisite consultations or consensus among the peace partners, constituted clear breaches of the letter and spirit of the responsibility-sharing arrangements under the governance chapter of the R-ARCSS, further eroding trust and undermining its implementation.
The 16-page report further says that no significant breakthrough has been achieved in resolving the political and security impasse in the country, despite extensive high-level diplomatic efforts by regional and international actors.
“Further, the absence of direct dialogue between the leadership of the parties, particularly between the Incumbent Transitional Government of National Unity (ITGoNU) and the SPLM/A-IO, reflects deeper underlying mistrust and unresolved grievances that continue to hinder effective implementation of the R-ARCSS,” it notes.
First Vice President Riek Machar, and other senior opposition officials were detained in March following intermittent clashes between the White Army militia and the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces in Nasir, Upper Nile State.
The transitional government accuses the SPLM/A-IO of inciting the White Army militia to attack SSPDF positions in Nasir, leading to the killing of 27 soldiers including a general in March.
The militia group fought alongside the former rebel group against the SSPDF following outbreak of conflict in December 2013.
