A recent surge in violence and escalating political tensions in South Sudan are putting a fragile peace process in jeopardy, the UN warns.
This comes a day after a UN helicopter attempting to evacuate soldiers from the northern town of Nasir was shot down, killing a crew member and several soldiers.
The attack further intensified the volatile situation in the region. Barney Afako, a member of the UN Commission on Human Rights, echoed concerns, describing the environment as a return to the "reckless power struggles that have devastated the country in the past."
Afako emphasised that the South Sudanese “deserve respite and peace, not another cycle of war.”
TRT Global - The UN Mission in South Sudan said its team was attempting to extract members of the South Sudanese army from the area when their helicopter came under fire, killing a crew member and seriously injuring two others.
Officials arrested
In recent weeks, several key figures have been arrested by the government of Salva Kiir. Those arrested include officials loyal to Vice President Riek Machar, casting doubt on the future of the 2018 peace agreement that ended a brutal civil war.
"We are witnessing an alarming regression that could erase years of hard-won progress," Yasmin Sooka, chairperson of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, said in a statement on Saturday.
She urged leaders to "urgently refocus on the peace process, uphold the human rights of South Sudanese citizens, and ensure a smooth transition to democracy."
Tensions erupted earlier this month when security forces loyal to President Salva Kiir arrested two ministers and several senior military officials linked to Machar.
The South Sudanese government has reaffirmed its commitment to end the recruitment and the use of child soldiers.
Focus on peace
It came amid violent clashes between national forces and the White Army militia, a group predominantly from Machar’s ethnic Nuer community, in the northern town of Nasir.
The violence has sparked fears that the power-sharing agreement, which was supposed to unite the country's warring factions under a single government, is unraveling.
"Rather than fueling division and conflict, leaders must urgently refocus on the peace process," Sooka urged.
The arrests were partially attributed to an alleged collaboration between Machar’s faction and the White Army militia, which is accused of attacking a military garrison Tuesday near Nasir.
Disarmament and elections
Machar’s party, however, has denied the allegations. Information Minister Michael Makuei has said the arrests were made due to legal conflicts with the law.
South Sudan, which became the world’s youngest nation in 2011, descended into civil war by 2013.
Although a peace deal in 2018 brought a cessation of hostilities, the implementation of key reforms, including the disarmament of armed groups and preparations for elections, has stalled.
