The United States, European Union, and several Western embassies have renewed their call for South Sudanese President Salva Kiir to immediately release First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar from house arrest. In a joint statement issued by the embassies of Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States, alongside the EU Delegation, the diplomats expressed grave concern over the rapidly deteriorating political and security situation in South Sudan, comparing it to the peak of the civil war in 2018.
The statement explicitly backs the assessment of the Revitalized Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) chairman, who warned that recent events mark the country’s worst instability since the 2018 peace agreement. The diplomats stressed that meaningful political dialogue cannot proceed while key political figures, especially Machar, remain detained. They called for all party leaders to urgently return to dialogue and for President Kiir to reverse Machar’s house arrest as a precondition for genuine peace efforts.
The joint statement also condemned recent remarks by Cabinet Affairs Minister Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro, who classified several Nuer-majority counties as “hostile,” a move seen as deepening ethnic divisions and undermining national unity. The diplomats urged all parties to refrain from using violence or unilateral actions for political gain, emphasizing the need for inclusivity and respect for the peace process.