President Salva Kiir Mayardit shake hands with Kenyan President William Ruto in past event in Kenya - Courtesy

NAIROBI, 27 March 2025 (Eye Radio) – Kenyan President William Ruto said he spoke with President Salva Kiir on Thursday on the situation leading to the “arrest” of his deputy Dr. Riek Machar, and will send an envoy to Juba to engage parties on de-escalation.

Machar was put under house arrest on Wednesday after a convoy of security vehicles entered his residence and disarmed his guards late in the evening, according to his party.

IGAD and the United Nations have called for maximum restraint and a return to implementation of the 2018 peace deal, warning that the escalating crisis put the country on the brink of civil war.

“Had a phone call with Pres. Salva Kiir on the situation leading to the arrest and detention of 1st vice Pres. Riek Machar in South Sudan,” Ruto said in a post on X.

“After consultations with Pres. Museveni and PM Abiy, I’m sending a special envoy to South Sudan to engage, try deescalate, and brief us back.”

President Kiir’s office is yet to release a statement confirming the phone conversation with Ruto.

South Sudan’s security situation has worsened and working relationship among peace parties appears broken following armed conflict in Upper Nile, Western Equatoria, Western Bahr el Ghazal, and cantonment sites in Central Equatoria.

The Kenyan foreign ministry has released a statement calling on South Sudanese parties to prioritize the country’s stability by returning to implementation of the 2018 peace agreement.