April 17, 2017 (Nyamilepedia) —— The UK Special envoy for South Sudan and Sudan is denied access to meet the Chairman of SPLM/A in Opposition Riek Machar Teny in his residence in South Africa, a reliable source who chose to remain anonymous has informed the Nyamilepedia news desk.
Chris Trott, the UK Special envoy for Sudan and South Sudan has been denied access by South Africa security to meet Machar. The source alleged that South Sudan Petroleum Minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth who went for an official visit to South Africa last month bribed South African security personnel to frustrate Chris, who went to South Africa specifically to meet the SPLM/A (IO) leader.
The UK envoy wants to discuss with the armed opposition leader the ways the collapsed peace agreement can be revised, only to be frustrated by South Africa security believed to be friendly to country’s First Vice President Gen. Taban Deng Gai and South Sudan Director of External Security Thomas Dueth Guet.
Gai is reported to have a well-established relationship with South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa who is viewed to be behind the tactical denial of the meeting between Chris and Char.
Machar, the leader of the largest armed opposition group in South Sudan, is restricted in South Africa under unclear circumstances after a war between him and President Salva Kiir broke out again in July 2016. The Troika (UK, the United States and Norway) has confirmed that the agreement on the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan, signed in August 2015, collapsed without being implemented and there is a need for warring parties to return to the negotiating table.
Similarly, last month, the United Nations Secretary General Special envoy for South Sudan and Sudan was also denied access to meet Machar in South Africa, but both men met after the second attempt to meet. The government of South Africa has been on record by denying that Riek Machar is not under house arrest in South Africa but stays there as a guest. And whether a guest can be confined against his will is a puzzle that remains to be answered.
4 comments
Under which international law is the IO leadership in South Sudan being held in South Africa. Which international statute do SA authorities refer to? Being held against ones will is illegal detention at best or kidnapping at worst. South Africa must immediately publically declare its intentions and either charge the IO leadership for a crime or allow free way for them to leave as they please. Anything else is a crime, the international community should react strongly. And that right now.
First, Dr Machar went to south African for medical attention, as he normally do before the war broke out in the December 13, 2013. It is normal visit as most of leaders in the south Sudan seek their medical treatment somewhere because there is no advanced medical facilities in the country. What is going on to denied him visitors that become a new conspiracy between IGAD, Juba and bribed elements in the south Africans national security. Dr. Machar is well respected and developed a firm relationship with the south African president over many years.
let this devil stay in isolation. those who seek to meet him are his master who use him as a tool for their interest to distabalize the nation
please south africa, am warning you to let our leader be free, he is not a criminal