South Sudan blames Machar for delayed formation of unity government

The South Sudanese government on Tuesday blamed vice-President designate Riek Machar for delayed formation of the transitional government.

Government spokesperson Michael Makuei also accused the rebel leader, who failed to return to Juba earlier Tuesday, of trying to bring arsenal of arms, inter alia, anti-tank, laser-guided missiles and heavy machine guns to the capital.

"The government of South Sudan will not accept additional arms or circular forces to be brought to Juba other than 40 Sudan People's Liberation Army-In-Opposition (SPLM-IO) forces," Makuei told journalists in Juba.

He said the government had done all necessary arrangements for the reception of Machar, adding that the unity government would have been formed had he arrived in Juba on Monday or Tuesday.

"We call upon Machar to come to Juba with his civilian support staff, but not as the protection forces. Not people in uniform," Makuei stressed.

His remarks came after the long awaited return of the rebel leader to the capital, Juba, has been delayed for a second time because of logistical reasons.

SPLM-IO spokesman William Ezekiel said Machar, who was initially due on Monday to take up his post as vice-president, could not make it to Juba due to flight clearance hurdles.

"Once again we are deeply sorry to announce cancellation of Machar's coming today to Juba. Its issues related to logistics. There is another demand that came that Chief of General Staff Simon Gatwech Dual's plane must be cleared by government to fly in South Sudan airspace," Ezekiel told journalists at Juba airport.

The rebel leader was due in Juba at around 3 p.m. on Tuesday after delaying it by a day, to take up the post of VP, which is a key part of the peace process aimed at ending more than two years of civil war.

Ezekiel said Machar who fled Juba at the start of the conflict in December 2013 was supposed to come after the said SPLA-IO general Dual had arrived.

Makuei called on the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), a body overseeing the peace deal implementation and the international community to mount pressure on Machar to commit himself and come to Juba as soon as possible.

However, Ezekiel argued that they are not bringing any heavy weapons, neither will they bring more troops apart from 45 bodyguard of Gen. Dual.

"This is not true. We are really accustomed to Makuei statement against Peace and SPLM-IO," Ezekiel told Xinhua.

Machar's advance team and 1,370 bodyguards including 22 Police high command have arrived in Juba with their light rifles despite continued clashes between the two rival troops in Bahr el Ghazal and Equatoria regions.

Fighting erupted in the world's youngest oil-rich nation, two years after gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, when President Salva Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup, an allegation the rebel leader has denied.

Since then, tens of thousands of people have lost their lives in the conflict, which also uprooted over 2 million people from their homes and destroyed properties and livelihood.

Source: XINHUA