Th regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad), is meeting on Wednesday in an attempt to calm tensions in the coalition government it helped form in South Sudan.
The meeting, officially the 43rd Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government, will discuss “the evolving situation in South Sudan” following the security crisis in the country, according to an official dispatch.
The summit is being held virtually and will seek to address concerns that arose last week when a militia clashed with South Sudanese forces in Upper Nile, the eastern state in South Sudan.
The militia, known as the White Army, is linked to First Vice President Riek Machar and his party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in Opposition (SPLM-IO). The clashes led to the arrest of some Machar’s allies, who were detained in what the authorities described as a “conflict with the law.” Dr Machar himself remains under house arrest.
President Salva Kiir, Dr Machar and several other representatives of armed groups formed a coalition government known as the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) after Igad brokered a peace agreement they signed in 2018. The deal is known as the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
However, there have been frequent cracks in the ranks of the coalition. The TGoNU itself has been extended three times, as a result of missed deadlines set by South Sudan itself for transitioning to a formally elected government.
The current crisis emerged in February when clashes erupted between the South Sudan People's Defence Forces and armed civilian groups in the country's Nasir County, Upper Nile. And it worsened last week after the government announced plans to deploy new forces to Nasir to replace troops that have been stationed in the area for several years.
Last week, Igad Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu called for restraint and dialogue to defuse rising tensions in South Sudan. He urged all parties to prioritise dialogue and reconciliation as the only sustainable path to peace, ensuring the protection of civilians and the stability of the region.
On Monday, President Kiir sacked three more ministers in the latest cabinet reshuffle that is likely to escalate the situation.
In a televised presidential decree, Mr Kiir removed Ruben Madol Arol as minister for justice and constitutional affairs and replaced him with Wek Mamer Kuol, a former deputy cabinet minister.
Awut Deng Acuil was relieved of her duties as minister of general education and instruction, with educationist Kuyok Abol Kuyok taking over. Joseph Mum Majak was dismissed as minister of trade and industry. Both Ms Deng and Mr Madol have held ministerial positions since 2020, while Mr Majak was appointed trade minister in July 2024.
The President did not give reasons for their dismissals. The latest cabinet reshuffle came in the wake of violence in Nasir, including an attack on a United Nations aircraft on March7 that killed UN staff and dozens of soldiers.
The international community has called on the warring parties in South Sudan to advance the transition to stability, democracy and lasting peace, urging them to prevent the country from sliding back into chaos.
