(JUBA) – A leading civil society activist has called on the South Sudanese government to release First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and other political detainees as a gesture of reconciliation during the country’s 14th Independence Day celebration.
Bol Deng Bol, the Executive Director of INTREPID South Sudan, based in Jonglei State, made the appeal on Wednesday, stressing that the continued house arrest of the opposition leader undermines the meaning of national independence and peace.
Dr. Machar, who also leads the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in Opposition (SPLM-IO), was reportedly placed under house arrest in March 2025 following violent clashes in Nasir, Upper Nile State. Since then, the government has maintained that Machar is under legal investigation, despite repeated domestic and international calls for his release.
In a public statement, Bol Deng said the government’s decision to detain a key signatory of the 2018 peace deal contradicts the spirit of unity and progress that Independence Day is meant to symbolise.
“The right thing to do today for the Office of the President is to address the lingering political detentions and overcome the backbreaking lack of political will hindering the peace agreement’s progress,” he said.
He noted that although the flag of independence was raised 14 years ago, South Sudan still struggles to achieve true freedom, democracy and reconciliation.
“Otherwise, like other South Sudanese, I am only jubilant today at the 14th commemoration of our motherland’s independence because our fathers and forefathers didn’t sacrifice their all in vain. Period,” Bol Deng remarked.
He also warned against turning the national flag into “a curse,” urging the leadership to protect and uphold the dignity of the nation.
“Our leaders must treat South Sudan, our only country, with the respect it deserves,” he added.
He called for the full implementation of the Revitalised Peace Agreement and urged national leaders to demonstrate political maturity for the sake of sustainable peace.
South Sudan has been grappling with delays in implementing key aspects of the 2018 peace deal, including the unification of forces, constitutional reforms and preparations for national elections.