S. Sudan’s Machar won’t visit forces until IGAD end ‘unlawful’ detention – spokesman

JUBA – South Sudan’s First Vice President, and SPLM-IO leader, Dr. Riek Machar Teny will not visit forces until the regional bloc, IGAD, which mediated the revitalized peace agreement determine his current status, according to an SPLM-IO spokesman.

Machar is currently under regional detention in Juba and teh SPLA-IO military chief, General Simon Gatwech Dual has wrote to IGAD several times demanding that Machar is allowed to visit forces to brief the opposition generals on the status of the revitalized peace agreement.

Speaking to Sudans Post on Friday, SPLM-IO director of information and public relations, Puok Both Baluang, said the group supports the calls by General Dual, but said the main armed opposition group has not yet been released by the IGAD, and will not visit forces until his release.

“Dr. Riek Machar is still under house confinement by the IGAD, and I would like to confirm this to the public that the Chairman is still under confinement and is not a free man yet,” Baluang told Sudans Post from the capital Juba.

“Secondly, regarding the letter that was written by the chief of staff of the SPLM/SPLA (IO), I think it is a genuine call and this reflex the position of the entire movement, the SPLM/SPLA-IO, both the political and the military wings,” he said.

The senior opposition official said Machar cannot move free and as such won’t be able to visit his forces until his release saying any future trips by Machar to forces will not likely take place until the remaining tasks of governance are completed and until the IGAD release him.

“Dr. Riek Machar cannot move freely or to go to visit our forces unless the unified forces have been trained, graduated and deployed in South Sudan. And that as well will not take place unless the revitalized parliament has been formed because they will be the one who will pass the laws that will guide the work of the unified forces,” he said.

“He will not also visit the forces unless his confinement has been lifted by the IGAD. As soon as the confinement is lifted, he will visit the forces,” he added.