Panic as Machar’s House put under temporary military siege

JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN: The government has deployed security forces around First Vice President Riek Machar’s house in Juba on Sunday.

“Without prior information, the SSPDF deployed heavily armed forces with armored carriers (APCs) on all routes leading to my residence, the First Vice President’s residence. Persons who attempted to go to my residence were turned off by the troops,” First Vice President Riek Machar said in a statement Monday.

For the past few weeks, clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces or SSPDF and forces loyal to Machar have been reported in Upper Nile and Unity states, threatening the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement. 

In an exclusive interview, Government Spokesperson Michael Makuei said the security has been beefed up around Machar’s residence following a decision by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) to withdraw from meetings of the Joint Defense Board and other security mechanisms of the peace deal. 

Makuei says the First Vice President will remain under watch until the SPLM-IO rejoins the meetings on security arrangements. Makuei says Machar is being guarded by professional forces from the SSPDF and the National Security Service (NSS). 

“As long as all this nonsense subsides and as soon as all these things subside, the situation will return to normal,” Makuei said.

“He’s being guarded because he needs protection. The forces who are guarding are not anyhow, these are the SSPDF and National Security. Ever since they (Riek Machar & other SPLM IO members) came, they’ve been guarded by our forces, so the security has been increased for his own protection and his own safety,” Makuei added.

According to Machar’s statement, the forces deployed to block all routes to his residence were removed Monday morning. However, military police and other organized forces have been deployed around Juba since Sunday afternoon, causing panic among some civilians.  

This security measure comes one day after Machar asked regional and international leaders to intervene to end renewed fighting in Unity and Upper Nile states, the strongholds of Machar’s SPLM-IO forces. 

Makuei says the forces deployed around Machar’s residence have nothing to do with the fighting in the Upper Nile and Unity states. 

“The fact that they decided to pull out of the security arrangements, this can be misinterpreted to mean another thing and this could be exploited by some other subversive elements who are anti-peace.”

“This is why he’s being protected. People should not panic for no reason. These are normal security precautions that are needed anytime. The situation now is different because those days there were forces within the town but of the resent, there are no forces,” Makuei reaffirms.

Juba resident Songa David says he was shocked to see military forces out on the streets while driving to work this morning. David says he fears a repeat of the outbreaks of war in 2013 and again in 2016 when he sees troops roaming the city. 

“You find in some streets soldiers deployed, compact staged in some strategic places, well-armed so as you drive and see the presence of these things (troops), it reminds you of what has been happening a few years back, and as a result, you will always have that fear in you.” He said.

In South Sudan anything can happen, says David. He says it is even more alarming when citizens fear the national army which is supposed to protect them. 

Juba resident Luate Satimon says deploying army and security forces outside the First Vice President’s residence for security reasons is appropriate under the circumstances but the public should be notified to avoid creating fear among residents. 

Satimon says the fact that Machar returned to the country without forces means there is no imminent danger of a war outbreak.

“Riek Machar’s security is in the hands of the president because the president is aware of his being here and the president vowed to protect him, so I don’t think he is having any threats. To me, that deployment is right but the public should also be aware because the public is worried about this abrupt deployment and is causing a lot of panic within the city,” Satimon said.