A female parliamentarian representing Lainya County in Yei’s legislative assembly has demanded the return of South Sudan’s opposition leader Riek Machar from exile for peace implementation in Juba.

MP Joy Keji Raphael told the head of the UN mission David Shearer during his recent visit to Yei town that the people of Lainya County are being killed, tortured, and displaced due to the ongoing conflict in the region.

She stressed the need to bring back Riek Machar for smooth implementation of the 2015 peace agreement, while urging the world body to exert efforts to bring back the opposition leader Riek Machar from exile in South Africa.

“We need UNMISS to ensure that more efforts are put in place especially implementation of the peace agreement. We also need to see that Riek Machar is brought back to the country so that the national dialogue can move successfully,” he said.

The lawmaker noted that the implementation of the signed peace agreement will be the only hope and solution to bring an end to the ongoing conflict in the world’s youngest nation.

“Lainya County has been destroyed in the last one year war and most of the people went to exile and many have died. People are being shot dead on the roads. This generation has lost hope and future,” he said.

In May, South Sudan's government said rebel leader Riek Machar’s return to Juba to participate in the national dialogue launched by President Kiir is unacceptable.