Riek Machar: A Controversial Leader in South Sudan’s Turbulent History

Riek Machar, South Sudan’s First Vice President and former rebel leader, is under house arrest amid renewed tensions with President Salva Kiir. Their rivalry has intensified ethnic divisions and impacted peace efforts since the 2013 civil war. Machar's controversial past includes alliances and political maneuvers that shaped the nation.

Riek Machar, the former rebel chieftain who ascended to South Sudan's First Vice Presidency, finds himself under house arrest in the latest chapter of a tumultuous relationship with President Salva Kiir. Their contentious history is marred by a 2013 civil war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and splintered the nation along ethnic lines.

Though a 2018 peace accord aimed to end ongoing strife, tensions have persisted. This year, clashes erupted as government accusations emerged, pointing toward Machar's SPLM-IO party colluding with militia forces in Upper Nile State. The allegations echo the political discord that sparked Machar's ousting from office in 2013.

Machar's storied past includes a controversial role in the fight for Sudan's independence, an ethnic massacre in 1991, and various peace agreements with the Sudanese government. Despite these controversial affiliations, Machar's influence remains, highlighted by leadership symbols like a ceremonial stick of Nuer heritage.

(With inputs from agencies.)