JUBA, South Sudan — The deputy president of South Sudan has issued a serious warning regarding the precarious peace agreement with the current president, following a government reshuffle that resulted in the dismissal of several high-ranking officials.
Riek Machar, who has had a tumultuous political relationship with President Salva Kiir that has previously escalated into civil conflict, stated on Wednesday that he would “withdraw from the agreement” established in 2018 unless two specific officials are restored to their positions within a 24-hour timeframe. The officials in question are Health Minister Yolanda Awel Deng and Gen. Alfred Futuyo Karaba, who serves as the governor of Western Equatoria state.
Alongside these individuals, other key figures including two additional vice presidents and the head of the intelligence service have also been relieved of their duties. Machar emphasized that these dismissals undermine the 2018 power-sharing framework, which was pivotal in his return to Juba as the first vice president. According to his statement, his faction will not stand for further breaches of the peace accord.
As of now, there has been no response from Kiir or his administration regarding these claims.
Under the terms of the 2018 agreement, South Sudan is meant to have five vice presidents, and this framework was intended to stabilize a nation that had been torn apart by five years of civil war, a crisis exacerbated by ethnic tensions ignited in December 2013 when Kiir’s followers clashed with those loyal to Machar.
The 2018 agreement remains only partially executed, with significant hurdles still unaddressed, including the government’s lack of action on promised reforms, particularly the unification of the military leadership. Although presidential elections, which have faced numerous delays, are now expected in 2026, optimism for a peaceful transition is waning.
Experts from the United Nations have previously cautioned that the ongoing stability of South Sudan is in jeopardy due to unmet deadlines and political stagnation regarding crucial matters within the unity government’s arrangement.