The Office of Salva Kiir has rejected, on Tuesday, March 17, calls from religious leaders to release opposition figure Riek Machar, defending ongoing military operations as necessary to maintain national security and constitutional order.
The response follows a March 13 appeal by the South Sudan Council of Churches, led by Cardinal Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, which warned that renewed fighting in Jonglei State risks derailing the fragile 2018 peace agreement.
Government officials acknowledged a worsening security and humanitarian situation but insisted that military actions are targeted responses to attacks allegedly carried out by a faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition led by Nathaniel Oyet Pierino, alongside the White Army militia.
The clashes reportedly occurred between December 2025 and January 2026 across multiple regions. Authorities firmly opposed calls to release Machar, stating that doing so before the conclusion of his trial would undermine the rule of law. He faces charges linked to a March 2025 attack on a military base in Nasir that reportedly killed 257 soldiers and caused extensive losses in equipment.
Despite pressure from regional mediators, including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the government maintained that judicial processes must proceed without interference.
It also dismissed suggestions that the opposition movement depends solely on Machar’s leadership, while reaffirming its commitment to political dialogue ahead of future elections.