Description: Addressing the Parliament, South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir, called for reconciliation with the political opposition in the country while much of its members were still imprisoned or in exile. South Sudan was entangled in a protracted political crisis in recent months which culminated with the arrests of Vice – President Riek Machar and most of the SPLM – IO’s political leadership. Clashes broke out between forces loyal to Kiir’s government and the White Army militia loyal to Machar in what was labeled as a constitutional and political crisis, threatening the previously agreed peace accord in 2018 which ended a long civil war in the country. Members of the SPLM – IO have rejected Kiir’s calls for negotiation claiming that the President used the state’s mechanism to repress his political opposition through extrajudicial killings and targeted imprisonment.
Impact: South Sudan’s internal instability remains unchanged despite multiple mediation efforts across several months from the African Union of Nations. President Kiir has vehemently rejected to engage in a civilized process of reintegrating the country’s political opposition into the system, violently confronting his critics and expanding his clout of influence through repression. The situation remains volatile, with issues remaining unresolved indicating the protraction of the political crisis which could further destabilize the country and incite renewed cycle of armed confrontations. The country is encompassed between neighbors combating domestic crises, such as the civil war in Sudan, the political unrest in Kenya and intra political tensions in Ethiopia which contributes to further aggravation of the instability. With the exemption of the African Union of Nations, conciliatory efforts have not been made by the international community which signals the continuation of instability.