President Salva Kiir left South Sudan on a visit to South Africa yesterday in order to meet his counterpart President Jacob Zuma.

The president was accompanied by four ministers, Minister of Defense Kuol Manyang, Minister of Mining Alfred Lado, Minister of Petroleum Ezekiel Lol and Minister in the Office of the President Mayik Ayii Deng.

According to the president's spokesman Ateny Wek, who spoke at Juba Airport upon the departure of Kiir, the visit is two days in duration.

He explained, “The visit is twofold. One is for government business – the two governments to work on bilateral relations – and then the two ruling parties, the Sudan Poeple's Liberation Movement and the African National Congress also working on how to build a relationship between the two historical and revolutionary parties.”

Ateny continued, “The four ministers are expected to be meeting their counterparts to work out though the Minister of Defense will not be talking to his counterpart because there is not anything to do with defense on this but he is going as a senior member of the Political Bureau in the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. He will be meeting the members of the Political Bureau of African National Congress to talk on bilateral [ties] and how to build the relationship between the two sisterly countries.”

Asked whether Kiir would meet with Machar, the spokesman said, “If Riek Machar is still in South Africa it is a business for the South African government to undertake. We don't doubt the ability of South Africa to deal with the issue.”

Ateny added that Machar is “Not one of the political leaders in the country [South Sudan] and therefore he shouldn't be one of the people meeting the president,” adding, “There will never be any possibility between President Kiir and Riek Machar.”

Kiir and Machar were the principal signatories of the August 2015 peace agreement.

File photo: Presidnet Salva Kiir greets Minister of Defense Kuol Manyang at Juba International Airprot after arriving back from a summit in Malabo.