February 18th 2020 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit may agree to the deployment of Regional Protection Force (RPF) during a meeting with opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar scheduled for today in Juba, sources at J1 said.
In January, the SPLM-IO led by Machar said while the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) provided for in the revitalized peace agreement is not ready yet, there was need for deployment of regional forces to fill the vacuum created by the delay in the reunification of forces.
The United Nations said it was ready to deploy troops but would want the consent of all the parties to the revitalized peace agreement including Kiir’s government.
Speaking to Nyamilepedia this afternoon, a government official said on condition of anonymity that President Salva Kiir will discuss the issue with Machar during a meeting set for today.
He said Kiir may accept the deployment of the regional force so that a unity government is formed next week as agreed by the two men during a November meeting in Uganda.
“The president will president will discuss the issue of the regional force with Riek Machar who is already here. They will meet in the afternoon,” the government official said.
“I think because the president is ready to implement the agreement as he signed it, he may agree to the regional force to be deployed to important town,” he added.
