France and Latvia demand release of Riek Machar

During a United Nations Security Council session, representatives from France and Latvia called on South Sudan to release suspended First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and other political detainees.

Diplomats warned that the current political impasse and the detention of opposition leaders threaten peace and stability ahead of planned national elections. The French delegate described the political landscape in South Sudan as "highly unstable" and "tense and precarious," noting that previous calls from the African Union to lift proceedings against political detainees have been ignored.

Latvia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Sanita Pavļuta-Deslandes, urged the authorities to engage in inclusive high-level dialogue and establish safeguards to ensure free and fair elections. She emphasized that the release of Dr. Machar and other detainees is an essential confidence-building measure to prevent violence during the upcoming electoral period.