Exiled opposition leader Riek Machar is scheduled to visit Juba today for expected talks with President Salva Kiir.

 Machar’s visit is seen as an important step towards the implementation of the peace deal as the mid-February deadline for forming a unity government approaches.

The roll-out of the peace agreement, however, has been delayed by disputes over the number of states and security arrangements.

Last week, government and opposition negotiators ended three days of meetings without an agreement on the number of states, casting a shadow over efforts to end the impasse.

"Dr. Machar would arrive in Juba today for a meeting that aims at discussing the outstanding issues related to the number of states," deputy spokesman of the opposition SPLM-IO, Manawa Peter Gatkuoth, told Radio Tamazuj this morning.

"Machar will carry out consultations with SPLM-IO officials in Juba on the number of states. Also, he will hold talks on the outstanding issues with President Kiir. I think it will be a two-day visit," he added.

The deputy spokesman pointed out that Machar would be accompanied by deputy head of Sudan’s sovereign council Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemeti.

On November 7, President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar agreed to give themselves another 100 days to form a unity government.

President Salva Kiir, opposition leader Riek Machar and a handful of other groups signed the peace deal in September 2018. However the parties have failed to create a unified army and determine the number of states since the deal was signed.