South Sudan’s Machar returns to South Africa

June 24th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – Prominent South Sudan opposition leader, Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon have left the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and returned to the South African city of Pretoria on Saturday night after having been asked by the Ethiopian Prime Minister to return back after the conduct of the face-to-face meeting with South Sudan’s self-imposed leader, Salva Kiir Mayardiit. 

Sources told the Nyamilepedia that Machar left Bole International Airport few minutes to the midnight on Saturday aboard the Ethiopian Airliner ET 859.

“Comrade Chairman has left Addis Ababa, he was on the plane few minutes to 12:00 am local time. He was taken by the ET 859 Ethiopian Airline jet,” one source told the Nyamilepedia on the condition of anonymity.

The SPLM-IO Youth League Chairman Pout Kang Chuol told the Nyamilepedia on Saturday that Machar will board a plane back to the South African city of Pretoria “any time from today”.

Early, the SPLM-IO director of information Pouk Both Baluang, told the Nyamilepedia that Machar has been asked to go back to South Africa but could not confirm from the Ethiopian authorities the time of his departure.

“Yes that is true (that Machar will departs back to South Africa). We are yet to get the confirmation from the Ethiopian Authorities regarding the time of his (Dr. Machar) departure to South Africa,” he told the Nyamilepedia on Saturday.

Machar was in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa for a face-to-face meeting with South Sudan incumbent Salva Kiir Mayardiit since Wednesday morning. Both men were invited by the Ethiopian Premier to meet and discuss issues pertaining to the success of the low peace process mediated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).