The embassies of Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union have condemned the recent hostilities in Upper Nile State, which have resulted in significant loss of life.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, the embassies expressed concern over reports of detentions involving senior military and civilian officials.
“We join our IGAD counterparts in calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for all parties and their affiliates to exercise maximum restraint. Juba-based leaders must demonstrate their commitment to peaceful dialogue and prioritize the interests of the South Sudanese people,” the statement read.
Tensions in Juba escalated following the arrest on Tuesday of four senior SPLA-IO military officers and Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chuol.
The detained SPLA-IO military officials include Generals Gabriel Duop Lam, Koang Gatkuoth Kerjiok, Wesley Welebe, and Ashhab Khamis Fahal.
The arrests come amid rising tensions after the White Army, a local armed youth group, captured a South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF) base in Nasir County, Upper Nile State. The government has accused the White Army of being allied with First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar’s SPLA-IO, a claim the opposition denies.
Information Minister Michael Makuei, an ally of President Salva Kiir, stated that the detentions were carried out because the individuals were “in conflict with the law.”
“They were arrested because they were in conflict with the law. There is no joke about that. What we need is security. If anybody is arrested, it is for a reason,” he said.
President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar are working to implement a peace agreement signed in 2018, aimed at ending years of civil war. However, the deal has faced repeated delays and challenges, particularly in unifying armed groups to form a national army.