The arrest of an army general from South Sudan's main opposition is a "grave violation" of the peace deal that ended a five-year civil war, an opposition spokesperson has told the BBC. Gen Gabriel Duop Lam was arrested earlier this week,

South Sudanese forces have arrested the petroleum minister and several senior military officials allied with First Vice President Riek Machar, Machar's spokesperson said on Wednesday, jeopardising a peace deal that ended a five-year civil war.

South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir, this week ordered a series of high-level arrests and dismissals of political and army figures as tensions between him and Vice President Riek Machar – a main opposition figure – threaten to reach boiling point.

South Sudan's top oil and gas official has been arrested at home amid concerns that a peace deal struck in 2018 by long time rivals President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar is in danger of unravelling.

South Sudanese forces loyal to President Salva Kiir have released the peacebuilding minister, a key ally of First Vice President Riek Machar, a spokesman for Machar said on Friday, after the arrests of senior officials escalated tensions.

South Sudanese forces have arrested the peacebuilding minister, a spokesman for Vice President Riek Machar said on Thursday, in the latest blow to the country's fragile peace process after the arrests of other senior officials allied with Machar.

- South Sudan President Salva Kiir, left, and First Vice President Riek Machar, right, shake hands after meetings in Juba, South Sudan, Oct. 20, 2019. Kiir appealed for calm after a U.N. helicopter was attacked and a crew member killed during a Friday rescue mission.

South Sudan forces have arrested the oil minister and deputy head of the army, both allies of First Vice-President Riek Machar, as fears grew on Wednesday for the country's fragile

A crew member was killed and two others were injured when a United Nations helicopter on an evacuation mission in a remote part of South Sudan was attacked.

Increased violence and political friction in South Sudan threaten its fragile peace process, a United Nations rights body said on Saturday, days after the arrests of several officials allied to the country's vice president.

South Sudan has seen an “alarming regression” as clashes in recent weeks in the country’s northeast threaten to undo years of progress towards peace, the United Nations commission on human rights for the country has warned.