Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
South Sudan’s fragile peace is at risk of unraveling. The United Nations (U.N.) has warned of a “regression” amid political infighting and escalating militia violence. Meanwhile, the U.S. has begun evacuating non-emergency government personnel from the country.
Tensions have flared between President Salva Kiir and his rival-turned-deputy, Vice President Riek Machar. The two fought a brutal war before agreeing to a 2018 peace deal, forming a unity government. However, that unity is now in jeopardy after Kiir dismissed Machar loyalists in a recent cabinet reshuffle.
Earlier this month, government troops surrounded Machar’s residence and detained two ministers and several military officials aligned with him. In response, the White Army—a militant group largely composed of fighters from Machar’s Nuer ethnic group—clashed with government troops in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state. Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, has denied targeting Machar’s allies, while Machar’s party insists it has no links to the White Army’s actions.
