Fears that South Sudan - the world's youngest nation - could plunge into a new civil war have intensified after the party of suspended Vice-President Riek Machar called for regime change. The call came after Machar - currently under house arrest - was charged with murder, treason and crimes against humanity. His party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM-IO), has denounced the charges as a political witch-hunt to dismantle a 2018 peace accord that ended a five-year civil war.
Meanwhile, extra troops from neighboring Uganda have been deployed to South Sudan's capital, Juba, as tensions escalate. The latest crisis comes as a UN report has accused South Sudanese officials of stealing billions of dollars in oil revenues, leaving millions of people without essential services and fueling the deadly conflict.
Background: South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 but faced immediate turmoil with the outbreak of civil war just two years later. As part of a peace deal, Machar was reinstated as vice-president but instability remains high.
Recent events escalated following clashes in Upper Nile state and accusations against Machar and his allies of inciting rebellion. The potential for renewed violence grows amid increasing calls from his party for armed resistance against the government.
Corruption remains a key issue, with a UN report detailing significant misappropriation of oil revenues intended for public services. This situation aggravates the longstanding political feud between President Salva Kiir and Machar, marked by ethnic tensions and broken promises of reform and elections.
If the current crisis worsens, there are fears South Sudan could revert to widespread violence, reminiscent of past conflicts that have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions.
Meanwhile, extra troops from neighboring Uganda have been deployed to South Sudan's capital, Juba, as tensions escalate. The latest crisis comes as a UN report has accused South Sudanese officials of stealing billions of dollars in oil revenues, leaving millions of people without essential services and fueling the deadly conflict.
Background: South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 but faced immediate turmoil with the outbreak of civil war just two years later. As part of a peace deal, Machar was reinstated as vice-president but instability remains high.
Recent events escalated following clashes in Upper Nile state and accusations against Machar and his allies of inciting rebellion. The potential for renewed violence grows amid increasing calls from his party for armed resistance against the government.
Corruption remains a key issue, with a UN report detailing significant misappropriation of oil revenues intended for public services. This situation aggravates the longstanding political feud between President Salva Kiir and Machar, marked by ethnic tensions and broken promises of reform and elections.
If the current crisis worsens, there are fears South Sudan could revert to widespread violence, reminiscent of past conflicts that have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions.
