South Sudan opposition says peace deal has collapsed after arrest of its leader

Relations between South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, right, and vice president Riek Machar, left, have deteriorated (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

South Sudan’s main opposition party has said a peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war has collapsed, following the arrest of its leader Riek Machar a day earlier.

The party’s deputy chairman, Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, said in a statement that the agreement “has been abrogated” and that Mr Machar’s arrest shows a lack of political goodwill to achieve peace and stability.