Crisis Unfolds as South Sudan's Peace Deal in Jeopardy

The house arrest of South Sudan's First Vice President Riek Machar has triggered the collapse of a pivotal peace agreement, threatening to reignite conflict. The United Nations and international bodies urge restraint, warning of regional instability. Allegations against Machar include support for militia clashes, which his party denies.

South Sudan is on the brink of returning to conflict as First Vice President Riek Machar's house arrest unravels the fragile peace deal that ended the civil war between 2013 and 2018, his party announced. The United Nations mission in South Sudan called for restraint to prevent further destabilization.

The peace agreement, signed after a five-year ethnic war that claimed countless lives, now hangs in the balance. Forces reportedly stormed Machar's residence in the capital, Juba, to serve an arrest warrant over allegations of supporting militia activities, claims denied by his party, SPLM-IO.

Globally, reactions have called for peace, with the African Union and neighboring nations advocating for calm. However, political analysts suspect President Salva Kiir of consolidating power, potentially paving the way for Benjamin Bol Mel, a controversial figure, to succeed him.

(With inputs from agencies.)