Mediators from the African Union travel to South Sudan in an attempt to salvage a peace agreement

Following First Vice President Riek Machar’s house detention last week, African Union mediators arrived in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, on Wednesday for negotiations aimed at preventing a new civil conflict.

Machar, a former adversary who led rebel forces during a 2013–18 conflict that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, has been accused by President Salva Kiir’s administration of attempting to incite a new uprising.

After weeks of conflict between the military and the White Army militia in the northern state of Upper Nile, Machar was taken into custody last Wednesday. Although Machar’s forces deny any present ties, they were allies of the White Army during the Civil War.

On Wednesday afternoon, the AU delegation’s plane touched down at the airport in Juba, accompanied by a “Council of the Wise” that comprised former Kenyan judge Effie Owuor and former Burundian President Domitien Ndayizeye.

The Council of Wise’s visit is “warmly welcomed as part of ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions and support the peace process,” according to a statement released by Machar’s SPLM-IO party.

In a statement released Tuesday, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council demanded Machar’s “immediate and unconditional release,” claiming that recent events jeopardize the 2018 peace agreement that put an end to the conflict.

In an effort to negotiate between the opposing factions, former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga traveled to Juba on Monday on behalf of a regional organization in East Africa. Kiir was met by Odinga, who informed him that he was not permitted to see Machar.

The 73-year-old Kiir seems to be trying to strengthen his position in the face of dissatisfaction within his own political party, according to analysts, while the war in neighboring Sudan has made security situations worse by bringing in more weaponry.

Ethnic divisions played a major role in the 2013–18 conflict, with members of the largest group in the nation, the Dinka, backing Kiir and members of the second-largest group, the Nuer, supporting Machar.