South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar, whose forces have been battling government troops in recent months, has marked the third anniversary of his country's independence from Sudan by criticizing President Salva Kiir.
"What we have seen over the last three years in South Sudan is the development of dictatorship and corruption," Machar told a press briefing in Addis Ababa, held on the occasion of the anniversary.
"Our country has witnessed nothing but dictatorship, anarchy, corruption, tribalism and a lack of development," Machar said. "South Sudan is now ranked a failed state."
Machar went on to accuse Kiir of using state power and resources to "establish dictatorship and push the country into what has become a civil war."
"In all honesty, it is difficult to mark this day… as a joyous occasion because of the prevailing situation caused by the 'uncalled-for-war,' which our people are subjected to now," he said.
The rebel leader added: "In a short period [since mid-December, when the conflict erupted], tens of thousands of lives have been lost, nearly half a million have fled to neighboring countries, and 1.1 million [have been] internally displaced."
South Sudan slid into chaos late last year when Kiir accused a group of army leaders allied to Machar – who had served as Kiir's vice-president before being sacked – of attempting to overthrow his regime.
Hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese have since been displaced in subsequent fighting, while large swathes of the population remain on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe.
Machar, for his part, stressed what he termed "the falsehood of Salva Kiir's 'coup attempt' narrative."
"The 'coup' story that has plunged our country into the abyss was a plot by Salva to do away with his political opponents by instilling fear in our people through the targeting and killing of one ethnic group," Machar told reporters.
The country's warring rivals signed a peace deal in May following an earlier cessation-of-hostilities agreement in January. Neither deal, however, has succeeded in curtailing hostilities.
Machar asserted that "transparent and inclusive" peace talks between the two camps should not be subject to additional delays.
Peace talks are currently suspended with no date set for their resumption, even though the two sides had agreed to form a transitional government within 60 days of signing a June 10 agreement.
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