South Sudan’s deputy president threatens to leave fragile peace agreement over fired officials

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — South Sudan’s deputy president is threatening to immediately withdraw from a fragile peace agreement with the president over a government reshuffle that saw the removal of multiple senior officials this week.

Riek Machar, whose political rivalry with President Salva Kiir has in the past exploded into civil war, said in a statement Wednesday he will “walk out of the agreement” reached in 2018 if two of the officials fired by Kiir are not reinstated within 24 hours. They are Health Minister Yolanda Awel Deng and Gen. Alfred Futuyo Karaba, governor of Western Equatoria state.

Other sacked officials include two other vice presidents and the spy chief.

Machar said the dismissals violate the 2018 power-sharing agreement following which he returned to Juba, the capital, with the title of first vice president of South Sudan. His side “will not tolerate continued violations of the peace deal,” his statement said.

There was no immediate comment by Kiir or his government.

South Sudan has five vice presidents, according to the 2018 agreement, which ended five years of civil war and was reached with the help of the U.S. and others.

There were high hopes for peace and stability once oil-rich South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011. But the country slid into civil war in December 2013 largely based on ethnic divisions when forces loyal to Kiir started battling those loyal to Machar.

The 2018 peace agreement is yet to be fully implemented. Challenges include the government’s failure to implement promised reforms such as completing the unification of the army command. Presidential elections, repeatedly postponed, are now scheduled for 2026.

United Nations experts have previously warned that the stability of South Sudan remains at risk because of missed deadlines and political gridlock on key issues in the unity government’s agreement.