South Sudan&

The team is expected to work closely with the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security to ensure a "legal, orderly, and dignified return process."

UN Special Representative Nicholas Haysom warned that the current conditions are "darkly reminiscent of the 2013 and 2016 conflicts, which took over 400,000 lives," referring to the brutal civil wars that followed South Sudan's independence in 2011 and devastated the young nation.

The appointment comes after the abrupt dismissal of former minister Ramadan Abdalla Goc earlier this week.

The diplomatic wrangle with US comes at a time when the government is also facing internal political strain over the continuing house arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar.

Experts have warned that the cuts - including the cancellation of more than 90% of USAID's contracts - could cost millions of lives in the coming years due to malnutrition, AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases.

South Sudan is a member of IGAD, a regional bloc comprising eight countries from the Horn of Africa, the Nile Valley and the Great Lakes Region.

US President Donald Trump's administration has taken aggressive measures to increase immigration enforcement, including the repatriation of people deemed to be in the US illegally.

US President Donald Trump's administration has taken aggressive measures to ramp up immigration enforcement, including the repatriation of people deemed to be in the US illegally.

Behind the diplomatic language lies a tense and rapidly deteriorating political crisis that risks dragging the region back into conflict.

The AU delegation's flight arrived at Juba's airport on Wednesday afternoon with a "Council of the Wise" which included former Burundian President Domitien Ndayizeye and former Kenyan judge Effie Owuor.

Mudavadi also acknowledged that the ongoing crises, including the South Sudan conflict, Al-Shabaab threats, and instability in Marsabit, have delayed the progress of the government’s Shirika Plan.

As questions swirl over the clarity and coordination of Odinga's special envoy role, one thing remains clear—Juba is not amused.

In a statement issued from Addis Ababa on Monday, the AUC chief expressed "solidarity with the Government and people of South Sudan," reaffirming the African Union's "unwavering commitment to dialogue, reconciliation, and lasting peace."

He warned that the Horn of Africa is already in turmoil and cannot withstand another conflict, urging immediate de-escalation.

Now a decade on, Kiir's administration has detained Machar, his longtime rival, threatening once again to ignite conflict in an impoverished country in the middle of an increasingly fragile region.

Reports that Machar – a long-time rival of President Salva Kiir – was arrested on Wednesday prompted international calls for restraint. Kenya sent its former prime minister, Raila Odinga, to defuse tensions.

First Vice President Riek Machar was put under house arrest in the capital Juba on Wednesday, in effect voiding a 2018 peace deal that ended a five-year civil war.

It is understood that Raila is set to travel to South Sudan on Friday to help prevent further conflict in the country.

Machar rejoined the SPLA in 2002, and after a 2005 peace deal that ended civil war and established southern autonomy, he became vice-president of the South, retaining the position after South Sudan's independence in 2011 until his sacking in 2013.

Foreign governments have warned that civil war could break out again in South Sudan following weeks of escalating tensions that originated in fighting between government troops and a militia that has historically been close to Machar's forces.

Dr Machar and his wife, Angelina Teny, were placed under house arrest on Wednesday night, an action that now threatens peace in the fragile nation.

IGAD's Executive Secretary, Workneh Gebeyehu, said such developments undermine the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.

President William Ruto on Thursday said he had called President Kiir to discuss the situation leading to Machar’s arrest and detention.

Civil society activists, the United Nations, and the United States have called for restraint and the reversal of the action following reports of the arrest.

According to UNICEF, 40,000 cases of cholera were reported from late September to March 18, 2025 making it the worst outbreak the country has faced in 20 years.

In a letter addressed to the U.N., African Union and the IGAD regional bloc, Machar said Uganda's military intervention in South Sudan had violated a 2018 peace deal, which ended a brutal five-year civil war.

This conflict can be traced back to historical tensions between the Nuer and Dinka communities, worsened by the 1991 split of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), a political party.

Amid cabinet reshuffles, arrests of senior officials in Juba, and a resurgence of militia activity in Upper Nile State, the risk of a renewed civil war is rising sharply.

A South Sudanese general was among around 27 soldiers killed on March 7 when a U.N. helicopter trying to evacuate them from Nasir came under attack.

Mayen told reporters that the government has taken all necessary steps to restore order following last week's arrests of several opposition and military officials

The arrest of officials including a deputy military chief and two ministers allied to Machar in the capital Juba last week, coupled with a wave of deadly clashes around a strategic northern town, are widely seen as jeopardising the peace deal.

IGAD’s Executive Secretary Dr Workneh Gebeyehu said the authority’s Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification will be reinforced to ensure compliance with the ceasefire.

Among those shown the door is Ruben Madol Arol, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. Kiir replaced him with Wek Mamer Kuol, though no official reason was given for Arol's removal.

Tensions have been growing in recent days in South Sudan after Kiir's government detained two ministers and several senior military officials allied with Machar.

South Sudan first plunged into civil war in December 2013 following a political falling-out within the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Army.

The United Nations rights agency said on Saturday that increased violence and political friction in South Sudan threatened the fragile peace process

Earlier this month, security forces loyal to President Salva Kiir arrested two ministers and several senior military officials allied with Riek Machar.

Information Minister Michael Makuei told reporters that "approximately 27" troops were killed.

The violence in Upper Nile State comes at a time when South Sudan is undergoing an extended transitional period, meant to implement key provisions of the Revitalised Peace Agreement.

South Sudan has formally been at peace since the 2018 agreement ended the five-year conflict that killed hundreds of thousands of people, but violence between rival communities flares up frequently.

Several members of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), including an injured general, were killed during the attempt by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to extract them from the area, which was requested by all parties.

President William Ruto, who has been leading South Sudan’s Tumaini Initiative peace process, acknowledged the escalating crisis, revealing that he had spoken to both Kiir and Machar.

IGAD, as the guarantor of the peace agreement, is calling on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and recommit to dialogue as the only way to ensure stability and the protection of civilians.

South Sudan has formally been at peace since the 2018 agreement ended a five-year conflict between Machar and President Salva Kiir that killed hundreds of thousands of people.

With IGAD and the AU actively engaged in stabilising the country, failure to act decisively could risk broader insecurity spilling across borders.

Ruto said he had met with the opposition delegation and, at the request of the South Sudanese government, agreed to temporarily pause the negotiations.

In what is being viewed as a strategic realignment, businessman Benjamin Bol Mel, a prominent figure from Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, was appointed as vice president.

The peace monitoring body confirmed Owinow’s appointment in a statement issued on Sunday, noting that he was nominated by the Government of Kenya and later endorsed by the East African regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The initial cases were traced to refugees fleeing the conflict in Sudan, but the situation has worsened as the disease spread rapidly across the country.

The graphic images, which sparked violent protests and retaliatory killings across the country, have been removed from the social media platforms.