South Sudan allows addition troops for rebel leader Riek Machar

The South Sudan government has allowed 200 troops of the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLA) to accompany the first Vice President designate Riek Machar to Juba.

About 195 soldiers are expected to arrive in Juba Thursday, with the Chief of General Staff of the SPLA-IO, General Simon Gatwech Dual, ahead of arrival of Machar.

Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Peter Bashir Gbandi made the announcement to reporters in a press conference, in Juba Wednesday.

Machar cancelled his arrival to Juba on Monday and Tuesday over failure by the government to grant flight and landing clearance to his top military leader, Dual.

Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth, however, said the opposition group intended to bring advance arsenals, including laser guided missiles, and anti-tank artilleries.

Machar had failed to return to the capital of Juba for the last three days over a security detail dispute.

Machar, who was expected to fly in to Juba from Gambela, Ethiopia, to be sworn in as the Vice President insisted that he travels with about 162 soldiers besides the nearly 1400 opposition troops already in Juba.

The government, however, maintained that Machar did not need to travel with troops as his protection force was already on the ground.

In a statement, the government of South Sudan under the leadership of Salva Kiir insisted that they will not accept any additional arms or surplus forces to be brought into Juba.

“The government reiterates its full commitment to the implementation of the agreement and calls upon JMEC, IGAD, Plus,UN,AU, TORIKA, EU,IPF,China  and the international community to exert more pressure on the 1st vice president designate Dr Riek Machar and the entire leadership of the SPLM/A-IO to reconsider this unrealistic demands and decision and join the people of South Sudan in the peace process and establish the TGoNU and start the transition period,” read the statement

Machar’s much anticipated swearing in was a key part of the peace process aimed at ending more than two years of civil war.