The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) has called on the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity(R-TGoNU) headed by President Salva Kiir to release political detainees including Dr. Riek Machar Teny.
The RJMEC made the call in their quarterly report released on Friday surrounding status of the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
Amb. Maj. Gen. (Rtd) George Aggrey Owinow, RJMEC interim chairperson who signed the report called the RGToNU to releasee Dr. Machar in order to ease the ongoing tension in the country.
“We call on RTGoNU to resolve the issues surrounding Dr. Riek Machar and other SPLM/A-IO leaders, military and other officials currently in detention to ensure that the are release” Owinow said in the report.
The RJMEC interim chairperson reiterated that the release of Dr. Machar and other political detainees would help in building trust among the parties to the peace agreement.
In the report, Owinow reiterated a call on the revitalized transitional government of national unity to build trust that start with the release of the political detainees.
“The R-ARCSS continues to be the best means through which lasting peace can be accomplished. In order to kickstart this process, there must be a restoration of trust, which necessarily involves releasing the SPLM/A-IO detainees and restoring full participation in the various agreement institutions and mechanisms,” he said.
On March 2025, the South Sudan’s First Vice President and leader of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM-IO) Dr. Riek Machar was placed under house arrest with some of his party members
The government accused him of inciting a violent in Nasir of Upper Nile state that resulted into the killing of over 400 government soldiers by the white army, a rebelled group alleged to be supported by the SPLM-IO.
After the arrest of Dr. Machar some of the opposition members left South Sudan and continue to call for release of their leader.
However, the South Sudan government said that the opposition leaders under detention were in conflict with the law and remain under investigation while peace implementation continues.
The peace monitors urged the RTGoNU to speed up the process surrounding the arrest of Dr. Machar and other SPLM/A-IO members, as demanded by the wider international community.
