The United Kingdom wants South Sudan to either release the Vice President Riek Machar from Detention or expedite his trial, fairly.
The Special envoy of United Kingdom (UK) to Sudan and South Sudan, Claire Stoughton, has just warned Juba that it is dangerous to continue detaining the country’s first Vice President Riek Machar without trial.
Stoughton said Machar’s detention threatens the 2018 peace agreement, and called for urgent resolution of the matter.
The UK Special envoy to South Sudan made the remarks during an exclusive interview with one of the local radio stations in Juba.
The UK official stressed that ‘continued detention of VP Machar without legal basis, undermines political gains and threatens the entire transition process.’
Envoy Claire Stoughton wanted an expedited resolution of Machar’s case, either through his release or a fair trial and used the occasion to warn that ‘the current situation weakens the transitional government’s credibility’ and hinders preparations for the scheduled 2026 elections.
The warning comes during the British official’s working visit to the South Sudan’s capital Juba, whose itinerary included a series of meetings with government officials, diplomats, and civil society leaders to discuss “delays in implementing the peace agreement.”
The UK envoy reaffirmed “the United Kingdom’s commitment to supporting stability in South Sudan,” emphasizing that “any successful transition requires genuine commitment to the rule of law and respect for human rights.”