JUBA – South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit is not ready to travel to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to meet his main rival, first vice president designate Dr. Riek Machar Teny, government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth said.
This morning, opposition officials said Machar’s planned visit to Juba which would have happened today was cancelled by the regional bloc, IGAD, which has also asked the two principals to meeting in Addis Ababa next week.
Makuei who is also South Sudan’s information minister said Kiir was busy and was not ready to travel to the Ethiopian capital where he could meet Machar next week as scheduled by the intergovernmental authority on development.
“His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit is not travelling to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa,” Makuei told reporters in Juba this afternoon.
“We don’t have time. We are implementing the peace agreement and the IGAD gave us the information about that meeting in Addis Ababa in a very short period. So, the president could not travel because he is busy and not ready,” he added.
Kiir’s own spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny also denied any knowledge about the meeting between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar in Addis Ababa. He said Kiir will travel to Addis Ababa Friday to attend a meeting of the IGAD heads of state and government which will take place on Saturdays.
“No meetings between the president and Machar outside the country. The president will attend a summit in Addis Ababa on Saturday, but there is no any planned meeting with Machar in Addis Ababa,” he stressed.
