Tensions are soaring in South Sudan as First Vice President Riek Machar, a long-time rival of President Salva Kiir, has reportedly been placed under house arrest. Machar's party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement for Opposition (SPLM/IO), alleges that security forces, including the defense minister, raided Machar's residence in Juba, confiscating weapons from his bodyguards. The government has yet to comment on the situation.

"Technically, Dr. Machar is under house arrest, but the security people tried to carry him go," stated Reath Muoch Tang, chairman of the party's foreign relations committee. An arrest warrant was reportedly presented, but the charges remain unclear. The SPLM/IO denounces the action as a violation of the constitution and the revitalized peace agreement, warning that it undermines the rule of law and threatens the country's stability.

The United Nations has expressed grave concern, warning that South Sudan is on the brink of another civil war. The fragile coalition government between Kiir and Machar, formed in August 2018 to end a five-year civil war that claimed nearly 400,000 lives, is increasingly strained by ethnic tensions and violence. The UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) warned that the country risks losing the progress made over the past seven years if conflict reignites.

The United States has called on President Kiir to release Machar, expressing concern over the reports of his house arrest. Washington's Bureau of African Affairs urged Kiir to "reverse this action & prevent further escalation of the situation." The UNMISS has also called for restraint, emphasizing that a relapse into widespread conflict would devastate South Sudan and affect the entire region.

Political analysts suggest that President Kiir is consolidating his power by detaining Machar's allies and appointing Benjamin Bol Mel as second vice president, potentially paving the way for Bol Mel to succeed him. The situation is further complicated by the presence of the White Army militia, which has historical ties to Machar, and a rise in hate speech, raising fears of renewed ethnic conflict.

Several foreign embassies, including those of Britain and the US, have reduced their diplomatic staff and urged their citizens to leave the country, while Norway and Germany have temporarily closed their operations in Juba.

Recent clashes between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar near Juba and in the northern town of Nasir, Upper Nile state, highlight the escalating tensions. The international community is closely monitoring the situation, urging South Sudan's leaders to demonstrate a commitment to peace and prevent a return to civil war.