September 19th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s former First Vice President and Opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon has rejected a call by President Kiir to visit Juba for three or four days, a senior SPLM-IO official told the Nyamilepedia on Wednesday.
South Sudan President on Monday called the opposition leader to visit Juba at least for two or three days to help build confidence between the two leaders.
Kiir is also visiting Khartoum later this month and he will be meeting personally with the SPLM-IO leader to finalize on some important yet pending issues between the parties.
A senior SPLM-IO official told the Nyamilepedia on Wednesday on the condition of anonymity that Machar will not be going to Juba citing security concerns saying even some of the preparations for the return of Machar are not yet completed.
“The Chairman will not be going to Juba. The leadership has decided to turn down the appeal from President Kiir because many issues viable for the implementation of this agreement are yet to be finalised,” he said.
He said Machar would be in Juba once the advance team and top commanders are on the ground and that the only remaining issue is that of the formation of the TGoNU.
“Machar will go to Juba when everything is completed including the arrival of the advance team and until there is nothing left other than the formation of the TGoNU,” he said referring to the Transitional Government of National Unity.
