AU, IGAD gravely concerned as tensions escalate in South Sudan

This photo, taken on April 9, 2024, shows the street view in Juba, South Sudan. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

The African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), in separate statements on Thursday, expressed "deep concern" over the escalating tensions in South Sudan, while calling for "maximum restraint" and dialogue to tame rising tensions.

ADDIS ABABA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), in separate statements on Thursday, expressed "deep concern" over the escalating tensions in South Sudan, while calling for "maximum restraint" and dialogue to tame rising tensions.

The statements came following reports of the house arrest of South Sudanese First Vice President Riek Machar in the country's capital of Juba on Wednesday night.

Expressing "deep concern" over Machar's reported detention, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf stressed the imperative for "all South Sudanese stakeholders to de-escalate the situation, uphold the spirit and letter of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), which remains the cornerstone for sustainable peace, stability, and national reconciliation."

Youssouf urged all concerned parties to exercise maximum restraint, refrain from any actions that could exacerbate tensions, and engage in constructive dialogue.

This photo taken on Feb. 14, 2025 shows Djibouti's Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf (front) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia  (Xinhua/Liu Fangqiang)

"The well-being of the South Sudanese people must remain the foremost priority, and all efforts must be directed toward ensuring an environment conducive to lasting peace and development," the AU statement quoted Youssouf as saying.

As an East African regional bloc, the IGAD said recent developments in the escalating political tensions in South Sudan "seriously undermine the R-ARCSS and risk plunging the country back into violent conflict."

IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu called on all South Sudanese stakeholders "to immediately refrain from unilateral actions that violate the spirit and letter of the R-ARCSS, which remains the only viable framework for sustainable peace in South Sudan."

"The current trajectory, if unchecked, could lead to a collapse of the transitional process and a relapse into full-scale war, with devastating consequences for the people of South Sudan and the region at large," the IGAD chief warned.

South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011 following decades of struggle and a protracted peace process, has navigated a precarious path between restoring peace and enduring instability, most notably in 2013 and more recently in 2016, when widespread conflict triggered the initiation of internal peace processes.

Source: https://english.news.cn/20250328/5d8c656f2c964d678c4fb068ec6352f0/c.html