The return of SPLM-IO Chairman and South Sudan's Vice President Designate has been postponed until tomorrow, according to a spokesman of the SPLM-IO Advance Team in Juba.

The spokesman William Ezekiel attributed the delay to “logistical reasons”. He said it has been rescheduled for tomorrow until 11:00.

The same source also indicated that delay may be related to a failure to get a flight clearance for the SPLA-IO Chief of Staff who was scheduled to arrive with Machar. But he said that the obstacle to his travel had not been caused by the governments in Juba or Ethiopia, pointing to possible problems in Pagak or Gambella. 

UPDATE, 13:30: SPLM-IO sources now confirm Riek Machar is en route to Juba, reversing their earlier announcement that he would arrive tomorrow, not today.