The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is set to convene the 43rd Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government to address the evolving situation in South Sudan.
The Summit will be held virtually on Wednesday, 12th March 2025.
IGAD, as the guarantor of the Revitalised Agreement (R-ARCSS), remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting dialogue, de-escalating tensions, and securing a peaceful future for the people of South Sudan.
Heavy security forces were deployed around the residence of First Vice President Riek Machar on Tuesday, following the detention of General Gabriel Duop Lam, the acting chief of staff of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO).
The opposition faction has condemned the move, calling it a violation of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement and a threat to ongoing peace efforts.
In a strongly worded statement released Tuesday night, the SPLA-IO expressed “grave concern” over the military buildup near Machar’s residence, calling it an act of provocation.
“We are also gravely concerned about the heavy deployment of SSPDF around the residence of Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, the First Vice President and Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLM/A-IO,” the group stated.
The SPLA-IO warned that the security deployment not only breaches trust among peace partners but also endangers efforts to de-escalate the ongoing violence in Upper Nile State.
“These actions erode confidence and trust among the parties and jeopardise efforts to de-escalate the current violence that erupted in Nasir County of Upper Nile State,” SPLM-IO spokesman and Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Pal Mai Deng said in the statement.
