Kiir (right, Machar (left). Photo: AFP
Juba, July 4, 2020 (SSNA) — President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar have clashed on Friday in a meeting held in J1, the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) has learned.
The meeting, according to a high-ranking official with the ministry of foreign affairs, the two leaders met on Friday for almost four hours and their talks ended without agreement. The meeting was about General Johnson Olony, who the SPLM-IO leader appointed to be the governor of Upper Nile State. However, Kiir refused to sign off, claiming Olony does not want peace.
“The president and first vice president met on Friday and discussed the appointment of Johnson. They did not reach an agreement in that meeting. They instead clashed,” the official told the SSNA in Juba on Saturday.
“Kiir accuses Johnson of warmongering and pressed Machar to dominate a different person. Machar refused,” the source explained.
The official disclosed that Machar lectured Kiir about what the peace agreement says and that he told the president to not stand in the way of peace. In return, Kiir told Machar that he can only agree if General Johnson abandons his anti-peace position. The official did not know when the two leaders will meet again.