UN: East African states and South Africa oppose Riek Machar’s return to South Sudan
East African states and South Africa are reported to be against the return of South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar to his country, as they believe that would not “necessarily be positive at this stage,” United Nations envoy David Shearer said on Wednesday.
Machar flew to South Africa to seek medical treatment following an attack on his rebel forces by government forces as they were fleeing to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Trouble had started in July after forces loyal to President Salva Kiir clashed with those loyal to Machar at the Presidential Palace in the capital Juba.
Machar had returned to the capital in March after the two factions signed a UN-backed peace deal that saw him take up the position of first vice president under Kiir.
South Sudan had initially descended into war in December 2013 after President Kiir accused Machar – his then deputy – of plotting to overthrow his government. Machar denied the allegations but then went on to mobilize a rebel force to fight the government.
Machar has been denied an avenue back to South Sudan from South Africa to prevent him from stirring up trouble.
Shearer, who heads a U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, confirmed that was the case.
“The feeling very much within the region is that his role, in terms of bringing him back, wouldn’t necessarily be positive at this stage, so that’s the decision of regional governments and South Africa,” Shearer told reporters in New York.
“What’s the most important thing — and I have made this point to everybody including President Kiir — is that the constituency he represents must be part of any peace process and any process that moves forward,” Shearer said.
