April 14th 2019 (Nyamilepedia)Â – The political situation in Sudan will not affect the return of South Sudan’s First Vice-President designate, Dr. Riek Machar, to Khartoum according to a spokesman for the main armed opposition group.
Sudan’s long-time leader, Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir, was forcefully removed from power on Thursday by the Sudanese army and was later arrested and reportedly being detained “in a safe” place.
Speaking to the Nyamilepedia on Saturday, the SPLM-IO Director of Information, Puok Both Baluang, said Machar will return to Khartoum after ongoing diplomatic meetings with Italian and world diplomats in Rome despite change of leadership in Sudan and gear of possible security breakdown.
“As you’re well aware, Dr. Machar’s staying in Khartoum is in compliance with the IGAD unjust detention. He was only granted to travel to attend the spiritual retreat in the Vatican, Rome last week. Hence, after the completion of the diplomatic meetings he, together with the accompanying delegation embarked upon recently, he will return to Khartoum,” he told the Nyamilepedia.
The opposition official further reiterated the group’s appeal to the regional body, the IGAD to release Machar unconditionally to reflect what he said would be regional impartiality in the ongoing conflict.
“On this note, we reiterate our call upon the IGAD to demonstrate its impartiality and release Dr. Riek Machar to allow him to move freely with view to engage in the dissemination and implementation of the R-ARCSS together with his brother President Salva Kiir and other stakeholders,” he added.
