July 17th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, led by the country’s First Vice President designate Dr. Riek Machar has denied reports that Machar had demanded in a letter sent to President Kiir last week that – as a precondition – Sudan’s military ruler, Abdel Fatah al-Burhan accompany him to Juba where he is expected to meet with the president over formation of unity government and other pending issues.
On Tuesday, there were reports that the prominent opposition leader demanded that the Chairman of Sudan’s ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) al-Burhan accompany him to, and out of Juba if he were to go to Juba.
Speaking to Nyamilepedia on Wednesday, the SPLM-IO director of information and public relations, Puok Both Baluang, denied the report and said it was not necessary for al-Burhan to accompany Machar to Juba saying Machar and the entire SPLM-IO demanded he is set free so as to be able top meet Kiir in Juba.
Both added that if the government and the region could not free Machar at the moment, the group demands that the ruling military in Khartoum allow him to depart and return to Khartoum in a process he said should be handled by the Sudanese authorities.
“If that is not possible at the present time, we want the the host of Dr. Machar (Sudan) to grant him permission to attend the said meeting not necessarily to been accompanied by Gen. Al- Burhan,” he told the Nyamilepedia from the Sudanese capital Khartoum.
