SOUTH SUDAN: Machar Under Arrest.

The article focuses on the unraveling of South Sudan's 2018 peace deal amid escalating political and military tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar. Following Machar's arrest by forces loyal to Kiir, clashes have intensified, particularly in Upper Nile state, involving government troops, opposition forces (Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition, SPLM/A-IO), and allied militias, resulting in significant casualties and displacement. Uganda, led by President Yoweri Museveni, has been involved militarily in support of Kiir, drawing accusations from the SPLM-IO of interference and war crimes. Meanwhile, Kiir's appointment of Benjamin Bol Mel as First Deputy Chairperson of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) signals a consolidation of power amid concerns over Kiir's health and succession, further complicating prospects for peace. The United Nations and African Union have called for renewed dialogue to prevent a return to full-scale civil war, emphasizing the need to uphold the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).