July 13th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s exiled opposition and SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar will travel to Juba to meet President Salva Kiir over the formation of the revitalized unity government, source close to him said.
Last month, President Salva Kiir Mayardiit wrote to Machar asking him to return to Juba to discuss with him the agreement.
In a letter dated July 8 and seen by
Nyamilepedia, Machar accepted the invitation and asked President Kiir to make a request to the ruling Sudan Transitional Military Council (TMC) to transport him to Juba and return him to Khartoum after the talks.
A source close with Machar told the Nyamilepedia on Friday that the main armed opposition leader may travel to the South Sudanese capital during the last week of July.
“He has accepted the invitation and a preparation is underway for him to travel maybe during the last week of July,” the source said.
Machar is currently under house detention in Sudan as per a regional strategy to try to put him away from the ongoing South Sudan conflict.
However, an opposition spokesman who confirmed the invitation said Machar’s departure from Khartoum for Juba depend on the current status on his freedom of movement.
He said the letter sent by Machar was a respond to a letter delivered to him from President Salva via the head of the National Pre-transitional Committee Tut Gatluak.
“President Salva is the one inviting the Chairman to Juba for a meeting not only to discuss the formation of the government but to also evaluate the extended six-month period from which two months have passed, discuss the outstanding issues and the way forward,” SPLM-IO Director of Information and Public Relations, Puok Both Baluang told the Nyamilepedia from Khartoum this afternoon.
“So, the letter [send by Machar to Kiir] was a respond to the invitation sent by President Salva via the Chairman of the NPTC Hon. Tut Gatluak,” he added.
