Juba, October 18, 2019 (SSNA) — The leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) Dr. Riek Machar will arrive in Juba tomorrow to have a face-to-face meeting with President Salva Kiir, a senior SPLM-IO official who asked for anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media told the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) today in Juba.
The office also stated that Machar’s arrival in Juba could be on Sunday but belies based on what the armed opposition leadership told him that he is likely to arrive on Saturday.
The official explained that Machar’s trip to Juba came days after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) asked him to accompany them to Juba. The UNSC is heading to Juba after it delivered a ‘thank you’ message to Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed for winning the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
On October 10, Kiir claimed at an event organized by Ethiopian leader in Addis Ababa that he will soon meet with opposition leaders and that most peace provisions have been implemented. He also lashed out at unnamed Western powers, saying “they are no happy” because he and his rivals managed to resolve the conflict.
South Sudan’s parties to the September 2018 peace agreement are expected to form a transitional government by November 12 dateline.
However, many South Sudanese and foreign analysts are skeptical, saying there is no hope a provisional government will be formed by the dateline since the government consistently refuses to execute security arrangements.