South Sudan capital rocked by arrests, militia advance amid rising tensions
March 4, 2025 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s capital, Juba, was gripped by heightened tensions after a series of arrests of opposition officials and a militia advance in a strategic border town. Deputy Chief of Staff Gabriel Duop Lam, aligned with Vice President Riek Machar’s SPLM-IO, was detained on Tuesday and held at BILPAM military headquarters.
Later on Tuesday evening, Petroleum Minister Pout Kang Chol and numerous other SPLM-IO members were arrested at their homes, according to sources. Security forces also maintained a presence around Machar’s residence.
The arrests followed a high-level presidential meeting to address escalating security concerns in Nasir, Western Equatoria, and Western Bahr el Ghazal states.
In Upper Nile State, the “White Army,” a Nuer militia group, claimed control of Nasir, a town near the Ethiopian border, after clashes with government forces. The militia’s advance raised concerns about further instability in the region, which has seen persistent violence since 2013.
The SPLM-IO condemned the detention of Duop by Army Chief General Paul Nanquen, saying it violated the revitalized peace agreement. “The People’s Movement in opposition… considered the action… in the illegal detention of… Gabriel Duop Lam, to be a violation of the revitalized peace agreement,” said a statement signed by SPLM-IO spokesperson Pal Mai Deng.
The statement said the detention was “illegal” and Duop Lam, who also serves as co-chair of the Joint Defense Board, “endangers the entire agreement.”
The statement also expressed concern over “heavy army deployments” around Machar’s residence, saying such actions undermined trust and risked jeopardizing efforts to calm violence in Nasir County. “These actions undermine trust… and jeopardize efforts to calm the current violence,” the statement said.
The SPLM-IO called for Duop Lam’s release and urged all parties to work towards ending the violence. “The People’s Movement in opposition… affirmed its full commitment to implementing the revitalized agreement,” the statement said.