South Sudan Government Accuses Vice President Machar of Plotting Rebellion
Juba, South Sudan – March 2025
The Government of South Sudan, led by President Salva Kiir, has accused First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar of planning a rebellion to destabilize the country and stop upcoming elections.
The Minister of Information, Michael Makuei, said intelligence reports show that Machar has been secretly organizing his SPLM/A-IO forces to start a new war. Machar was placed under house arrest on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
Makuei said that since early March, Machar has been in contact with commanders of the SPLM/A-IO, urging them to rise against the government.
“Dr. Machar has been pushing his army and politicians to rebel so that elections are stopped and South Sudan returns to war,” Makuei told reporters on Friday.
The government also blamed Machar for a deadly attack on its forces in Nasir, Upper Nile State, on March 4, 2025. The attack was carried out by the White Army militias linked to SPLM/A-IO. Government forces lost their leader, Commander Majur Dak, in the attack.
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According to Makuei, Machar’s forces continued to spread hate speech and tribalism to divide the country.
The government further accused Machar of ordering attacks on joint government forces in several areas, including Tonga, Nyaluak, Wunkur, Wathlel, and Rajaf on March 25, 2025. It is also reported that Machar ordered his troops in the training centers of Agutmakur and Panyier to withdraw without notice.
Many SPLM/A-IO leaders and commanders, such as Gen. Yiey Dak and Minister Pal Mai Deng, reportedly disappeared during this period.
To stop further attacks and protect peace in the country, President Kiir placed Dr. Machar under house arrest.
International Community Calls for Machar’s Release
The arrest has drawn attention from international organizations and foreign governments. The United Nations, African Union (A.U.), IGAD, and several Western countries have asked President Kiir to release Machar immediately.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres urged the South Sudanese government to free Machar and continue the peace process under the 2018 Revitalized Agreement.
The A.U. said it will send the Panel of the Wise, led by Kenyan judge Effie Owuor, to help resolve the crisis.
Kenyan President William Ruto, after consulting with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, sent Raila Odinga to Juba for talks.
The U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Norway, and the European Union have also called for Machar’s release. Due to the rising tensions, Germany and Norway have closed their embassies in Juba, while the U.S. and U.K. have reduced their staff.
IGAD warned that Machar’s arrest is a serious threat to South Sudan’s fragile peace.
South Sudan Government Accuses Vice President Machar of Plotting Rebellion
