South Sudan VP visits Uhuru as conflict deepens in Juba

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta with South Sudan Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior, who paid him a courtesy call at his Ichaweri residence on October 29, 2025. /UHURU KENYATTA/X

Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday hosted South Sudan’s Vice President Rebecca De Mabior at his Ichaweri home in Gatundu.

In a brief statement, Uhuru said the visit was a courtesy call.

However, the meeting carries weight against the backdrop of renewed turmoil in South Sudan, where political divisions and armed clashes have pushed the fragile peace process to the brink.

Uhuru currently serves as the African Union–Kenya Peace Envoy and Facilitator of the East African Community–led Nairobi Peace Process.

His engagement with one of South Sudan’s top leaders could therefore be viewed as part of ongoing regional efforts to stabilise the world’s youngest nation.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta with South Sudan Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior, who paid him a courtesy call at his Ichaweri residence on October 29, 2025. /UHURU KENYATTA/X

Fresh violence broke out in March between government forces—the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF)—and armed groups loyal to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO).

The confrontations have triggered the most serious crisis since the signing of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).

Tensions worsened after the detention of First Vice President Riek Machar and other senior SPLM/A-IO officials.

Their arrest, coupled with the emergence of new factions, the deployment of Ugandan troops, and intensified SSPDF operations, has complicated an already volatile situation.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta with South Sudan Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior who paid him a courtesy call at his Ichaweri residence on October 29, 2025. /UHURU KENYATTA/X

On September 11, Machar and eight senior SPLM/A-IO members were charged with murder, treason, crimes against humanity, and other offences linked to a deadly March attack in Nasir county, which left more than 250 soldiers and a UN pilot dead.

The SPLM/A-IO dismissed the accusations as fabricated, describing them as part of a political campaign to derail the 2018 peace accord that ended the country’s five-year civil war.

Machar’s suspension from his vice-presidential duties pending trial has further strained relations within the transitional government.

Since his house arrest on March 25, several envoys—among them former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in March and an African Union delegation in April—were denied access to him.

President Salva Kiir’s recent political moves have also provoked discontent, with SPLM/A-IO accusing him of unilateral decisions, including extensive cabinet reshuffles and the appointment of his daughter, Adut Salva Kiir, to a senior government post.

More than a decade after independence, South Sudan’s peace remains fragile. The 2013 conflict between Kiir and Machar killed an estimated 400,000 people and displaced millions after Kiir accused Machar of attempting to overthrow his government.

Though the 2018 peace deal ushered in a unity government, implementation has stalled, with critical provisions such as a unified national army, credible elections, and an AU-backed hybrid court still pending.

While Uhuru’s office issued no formal statement on the outcome of Wednesday’s meeting, his regional peace mandate makes the visit by Vice President De Mabior significant—potentially signalling renewed diplomatic engagement to restore calm in Juba.

Rebecca, widow of late Dr John Garang de Mabior, has been a strong advocate for peace in South Sudan long before her husband's death in July 2005.