JUBA, South Sudan — In a significant political development, South Sudan’s deputy president has issued a warning regarding the fragile peace accord with President Salva Kiir, following a recent government reshuffle that resulted in the ousting of several high-ranking officials this week.

Riek Machar, whose longstanding rivalry with President Kiir has previously led to civil unrest, declared on Wednesday that he would “withdraw from the agreement” established in 2018 if Kiir does not restore two removed officials within a day. These officials include Health Minister Yolanda Awel Deng and General Alfred Futuyo Karaba, the governor of Western Equatoria.

Among those dismissed are additional vice presidents and the chief of intelligence.

Machar argued that these firings breach the 2018 power-sharing agreement that facilitated his return to the capital, Juba, as the first vice president of South Sudan. He emphasized that his faction “will not accept ongoing transgressions of the peace accord,” as stated in his remarks.

A response from Kiir or his administration has not been reported yet.

Under the terms of the 2018 agreement, South Sudan has a total of five vice presidents, a pact that ended five years of civil conflict, facilitated with support from the United States and other nations.

Following its independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan held great promise for peace and prosperity. However, the country descended into civil war in December 2013, primarily fueled by ethnic tensions between forces loyal to Kiir and those aligned with Machar.

The implementation of the 2018 peace accord remains incomplete, with ongoing hurdles including the government’s failure to enact promised reforms, such as finalizing the integration of military commands. Presidential elections, which have faced multiple delays, are now slated for 2026.

Experts from the United Nations have previously cautioned that South Sudan’s stability is jeopardized by missed deadlines and political deadlock regarding critical aspects of the unity government’s agreement.