Kenya’s opposition chief Raila Odinga is expected to fly to South Africa next week to meet South Sudan opposition leader in a new effort to mediate between warring parties, a rebel official said.

South Sudan’s rebel chief Riek Machar has been under house arrest in South Africa since 2016. Raila held a meeting with President Salva Kiir in Juba last month.

“Raila is expected to travel to South Africa next week to meet Dr. Riek Machar. We hope that the separate meeting between the two leaders will be fruitful,” Manawa Peter Gatkuoth, deputy head of the SPLM’s committee for information told Radio Tamazuj today.

The South Sudanese opposition official said his group welcomes Raila’s new role as peace envoy to reconcile South Sudanese leaders and end years of devastating civil strife.

He pointed out that the recent meeting between Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and their delegation headed by Henry Odwar in Nairobi was fruitful.

Gatkuoth said the Kenyan government vowed to protect members of the armed opposition allied to former first vice president Riek Machar in Kenya.