Haysom says there is ‘doubt’ whether Machar is under detention in Juba

JUBA – The head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Nicolas Haysom, has expressed uncertainty regarding whether South Sudan’s First Vice President and opposition leader, Riek Machar, is restricted to the capital, Juba.

When asked by a Sudans Post reporter during a press conference held in Juba on Wednesday, Haysom said there is “doubt” about whether Machar faces movement restrictions but emphasized the importance of resolving any issues around this matter.

“Well, we believe that all South Sudanese should be able to move elsewhere. The difficulties, whether they exist or don’t exist, I’ve discussed this with First Vice President Machar, are a matter for, to be resolved within our team,” he said.

Haysom, who is also the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG), acknowledged that questions have been raised about a possible movement embargo on Machar, but no clear conclusion has been reached.

“There’s a doubt as to, or questions which have been placed as to whether there is a movement embargo or not, and they would have to agree that there is or there isn’t and find ways to deal with it,” he said.

South Sudan was scheduled to go for elections in December 2024, but leaders of the parties to the revitalized peace agreement, including Kiir and Machar, agreed to postpone the long-awaited poll for two more years, extending the election date to December 2026 and the transitional period to February 2027.

Haysom underscored the need for all political actors to have freedom of movement and equal opportunity to campaign.

“We will, as I said, continue to encourage that all South Sudanese have the right to freedom of movement, but also as we come up to elections, it seems to us important that all political players are able to compete on a level political playing field, and that’s not only a reference to Dr. Riek Machar, but also to all the other political leaders as well,” Haysom stressed.

Machar, who heads the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), has been a central figure in South Sudan’s power-sharing government, formed under a 2018 deal agreement known as the revitalized peace agreement to end a five-year conflict.

However, his party, and Machar’s wife, interior minister Angelina Teny, have reported restrictions on his movements, which have raised concerns about political freedom ahead of the elections, which would be the country’s first since gaining independence in 2011.

Machar himself in August 2022 said he was being “marooned and stuck” in the capital Juba.

These reports have further raised doubts about a peaceful election with more opposition figures, including Machar’s deputy Nathaniel Oyet who also serves as the first deputy speaker of the country’s parliament, being restricted from movements.

Oyet was late last month prevented from leaving Juba after he was returned from Juba International Airport by members of South Sudan’s National Security Service (NSS), allegedly on orders of now deposed head of the NSS’s Internal Security Bureau (ISB) General Akol Koor Kuc.