Two leaders clash over house arrest

SOUTH Sudanese opposition leader Dr Riek Machar’s continued house arrest in the Sudanese capital Khartoum is causing animosity between Uganda and Ethiopia.

This follows Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Uganda President Yoweri Museveni reportedly clashing on the phone over whether Machar should be released or not.

According to sources close to both leaders, an argument between the two leaders broke out after Ahmed had returned from Khartoum where he had attended the signing ceremony of a powersharing agreement between Sudan’s ruling military Junta and the opposition coalition party, the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), Nyamilepedia reported.

After South Sudan President Salva Kiir rejected Ahmed’s suggestion to free Machar, the latter then put a call through to Museveni asking for his opinion.

When the Ugandan president suggested that Machar remain under detention until a South Sudan unity government is formed, the conversation proceeded to turn acrimonious.

Par Kuol, a senior official from Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), earlier in the year confirmed that the opposition leader had been confined to Khartoum and was banned from moving beyond the city precincts.

Kuol also confirmed that Machar would not be freed until South Sudan’s unity government was formed.

It is expected that the SPLM-IO leader’s release will be announced at an extraordinary summit of heads of state and government from IGAD once the unity government is formed. Machar who was previously under house arrest in South Africa was partially released in May 2018 to allow him to participate in the peace process. | African News Agency (ANA)