MACHAR RETURNS TO JUBA AFTER 2 YEARS

South Sudan leader receives former rival and discusses peace accord

JUBA: South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar returned to the capital Juba for the irst time in more than two years Wednesday for a ceremony to welcome the latest peace accord for the war-ravaged country.

The rebel chief was welcomed at Juba’s airport by President Salva Kiir, Machar’s former ally turned bitter enemy.

The two rivals then joined regional leaders at the ceremony to publicly welcome the most recent agreement, signed in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) chief David Shearer hailed the moment of cooperation and said that building trust would be crucial, according to a statement.

“To see parties that have previously been divided by violence coming together here in Juba, in a public sign of unity, sends a strong message to the citizens of this country that you are genuinely committed to end the suffering and build durable peace,” he said.

Several thousand people gathered for the ceremony at the John Garang Mausoleum, built in honour of the independence hero who was killed in a helicopter crash in 2005.

Among regional leaders attending were Sudanese President Omar albashir, Ethiopia’s newly appointed President Sahle-work Zewde, Somalia’s head of state Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

“Sadly, the hopes and dreams of that moment were lost in the outbreak of the war that has plagued this country for ive long years,” Shearer said.

“This ceremony is a chance for the leaders here today to restore that hope and to secure a peaceful and prosperous future for their people.”

It was not immediately clear how long Machar would remain in Juba, as his aides have expressed concerns over his safety in the city.

Lam Paul Gabriel, a spokesman for Machar’s SPLM-IO rebel group, had said on Tuesday that he would be accompanied by around 30 political igures.

“We are worried for his security in Juba, but the truth is here: we are for peace, and what we are trying to do is build trust. So that is why he is able to leave his forces behind and just go with politicians,” Gabriel said.

Machar, who under the terms of the September deal is to be reinstated as vice president, had not set foot in the city since he led in July 2016 under a hail of gunire when an earlier peace agreement collapsed.