South Sudan rebel leader postpones visit to capital

By Parach Mach

JUBA, South Sudan

The highly-anticipated return of rebel leader Riek Machar to the South Sudanese capital Juba has been postponed yet again, sparking fresh concerns about that the fragile peace process.

Machar was expected in Juba Monday to take charge as South Sudan’s first vice-president and forming a transitional government of national unity with President Salva Kiir Mayardit, which would bring an end to more than two years of civil war in the world’s youngest nation.

However, William Ezekiel, spokesman of the rebels’ team in Juba, told journalists at the Juba International Airport Monday that the visit had been delayed this time due to “logistical” hiccups.

“The scheduled return of Dr. Riek Machar to Juba has been postponed until tomorrow; this is due to some logistical challenges both at Pagak and Gambella,” Ezekiel said.

He said the delay may be related to a failure to get flight clearance for the rebels SPLA-IO chief of staff, who was also scheduled to arrive with Machar.

William, however, acknowledged that the obstacle to the travel plans had not been caused by the governments in Juba or Ethiopia and instead pointed to possible problems in eastern parts of the Upper Nile state, in Pagak or Gambella.

After being sworn in as first vice-president, Machar and Kiir are expected to work on setting up a power-sharing government and on elevating rebel troops to an equal status as that of the South Sudanese military.

Machar, who was ousted from his position as vice president in July 2013 by Kiir, has not been to Juba since December 2013, when clashes with the presidential guard escalated into a full-fledged war that took on a tribal dimension.

In remarks made in an emailed statement Monday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon urged Machar and Kiir to quickly form the “Transitional Government of National Unity,” which he said was a crucial next step in the peace process.

Ban spoke with the two rivals via telephone, commending Kiir for his decision to welcome Machar back to Juba; he also applauded Machar for his decision to return and urged him to work with the president to prevent any further violence.

He reaffirmed the readiness of the United Nations to assist in all efforts to bring peace to South Sudan.

Under pressure from international powers, the two men signed an initial peace deal in August 2015 and agreed to share ministerial positions in January whereby Kiir gave Machar his old job as deputy after several months of troubled negotiation and failed cease-fire agreements. Yet, the deal has broken down repeatedly.

Tens of thousands of people were killed, and more than two million displaced when war broke out in South Sudan three years ago in the power struggle between allies of Kiir and Machar.

The country came into existence only in July 2011, when it gained independence from Sudan.

In accordance with the terms of the August deal, Kiir issued on Feb. 11 a republican decree appointing Machar to the position of first vice president. The SPLM-IO is expected to nominate 10 ministers to the transitional government, although these are yet to be confirmed.