South Sudan’s Petroleum Minister, Puot Kang Chuol, has been arrested in the capital, Juba, as tensions escalate between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar over ongoing insecurity in parts of the country.
Mr. Chuol, a senior member of the SPLM-IO opposition group led by Dr. Machar, was arrested early on Wednesday by government security personnel at his residence in the Thongpiny area of Juba, according to his press secretary, Sirir Gabriel.
“Minister Puot was arrested at his residence by government security personnel,” Sirir told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday morning.
The minister, who has held the position since 2020 as part of a power-sharing agreement under the 2018 peace deal, is believed to be held at the Military Intelligence detention center. His family members and bodyguards were also reportedly arrested, and his phones and laptops were confiscated.
The arrest comes amid heightened political tensions between President Kiir and Dr. Machar, who have struggled to implement the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
The deal, aimed at ending years of civil war, has faced repeated delays and challenges, particularly in unifying armed groups to form a national army.
Puok Both Baluang, acting press secretary for Dr. Machar, confirmed the arrest of the minister and questioned why a minister with immunity was detained. He suggested the move was linked to recent insecurity and fighting in Upper Nile State.
“The minister was arrested at his residence in Thongpiny at around 1 am. He was first taken away, brought back, and then another force came again and picked him up. He was arrested along with some of his relatives and security guards. According to our information, he is being detained by Military Intelligence personnel,” he explained.
Security has also been tightened around Dr. Machar’s residence, with a large number of security personnel deployed in the area following a meeting of the presidency, he added.
Government Spokesperson Michael Makuei could not immediately be reached for comment.
The arrest has raised concerns among political observers.
Edmund Yakani, a South Sudanese activist, warned that such actions threaten the peace agreement and the country’s transitional process. He urged all parties to refrain from actions that undermine the ceasefire, including unlawful arrests and detentions.
The tensions in Juba intensified earlier this week after four senior SPLM-IO military officers were arrested at army headquarters. Among them was Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, the Deputy Chief of Defense Forces for Operations.