John Kirby, the spokesman of the United States Department of State, says that SPLM-IO Chairman Riek Machar’s failure to return to Juba yesterday was the result of a “willful decision,” contradicting his spokesperson’ statements that it was because of logistical problems or because the government denied flight clearances.
Kirby told a press briefing in Washington yesterday, “On South Sudan, the United States is deeply disappointed by Riek Machar’s failure to return to South Sudan’s capital of Juba today to form the Transitional Government of National Unity. This represents a willful decision by him not to abide by his own commitments to implement the agreement on the resolution of the conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.”
He said that the US and other countries “have gone to great lengths to facilitate his return, including the return to Juba of his political advance team and his security detail.”
Separately, Festus Mogae, head of the Joint Monitoring and Verification Commission (JMEC) and former Botswana president, said he was disappointed by Machar’s delay to return to Juba.
Mogae said that Machar “failed to travel to Juba on the chartered aircraft provided by international partners on 18 and 19 April.”
The United States government spokesman accused Machar of putting at risk the peace agreement.
He warned, “We will coordinate with our partners on appropriate responses to this obstruction of the peace process – the peace agreement by Dr. Machar.”
For its part, the SPLM-IO confirmed that it had been seeking to send additional weapons and men to Juba with Machar on the same day as his arrival.
James Gatdet Dak wrote to Radio Tamazuj saying, “President Salva Kiir’s administration should understand that the number of the SPLA-IO’s forces required to be deployed in Juba is 2,910 in total, and not the initial 1,370 only.”
He was referring to a threshold level of SPLA-IO troops that the parties had agreed would be the minimum needed for Machar to return to Juba: 1,370.
“They should not therefore object to the transportation from Pagak via Gambella by air of additional troops or bodyguards of both the South Sudan’s First Vice President, Chairman and C-in-C of SPLM/SPLA (IO), Dr. Riek Machar, and the Chief of General Staff, 1st Lt. Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual. Even if their number reached 1,500, it would have been still in compliance with the required SPLA-IO troops in Juba per the security arrangements,” he said.
Gatdet added, “The government should therefore stop wasting time and give landing permit (clearance) for the plane which will carry the Chief of General Staff, the bodyguards and their weapons…unless the administration is not committed to peace.”
However, Gatdet did not respond to a follow-up question asking whether the South Sudanese government was correct in saying that General Gatwech had sought to bring with him “an arsenal of arms, inter alia, anti-tanks, laser-guided missiles an heavy machine guns.” Machar has made it a condition that General Gatwech should fly to Juba ahead of him on a separate flight.
Related:
Juba: ‘Machar did not respect his commitment’ (20 April 2016)