SPLM-IO: No Money for Riek Machar's Travel to Juba on Monday, April 25th

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South Sudan Rebels Say U.S. Withdraws Funding for Machar Travel

April 24, 2016 — The U.S. withdrew funding to help transport South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar to the capital, Juba, to take part in a transitional government, the renegade force’s head of foreign relations said.

Machar’s supporters are now seeking support from the United Nations to fly Machar from Gambella, in western Ethiopia, to Juba, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth said Sunday in an interview. The rebels are also appealing to the U.S. to reconsider because Machar’s failure to travel may imperil a peace agreement aimed at ending the country’s two-year civil war, he said.

“Definitely the transition is on hold unless we have another person that can volunteer to help transport the first vice president,” Gatkuoth said.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal in August under international pressure, agreeing to run a government of national unity and hold elections within 30 months. Fighting that erupted in December 2013 has killed tens of thousands of people, forced more than 2 million more to flee their homes and cut oil production by at least a third.

Machar’s scheduled April 18 return has been repeatedly delayed because of disagreements about the number of troops and the amount of weapons he can travel with to Juba.

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PaanLuel Wël

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PaanLuel Wël is the founder and editor-in-chief of PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd, a news website that covers news, opinions, analysis, history, culture and literature of South Sudan and the world. Founded in July 2011 by PaanLuel Wël to create a platform for free expression and constructive dialogue, the website features articles from various contributors, including columnists, commentators, poets, authors, activists and academics. PaanLuel Wël believes that media can play a vital role in informing, educating and empowering the people to participate in nation-building and social transformation. He also believes that media can foster a culture of dialogue, tolerance and diversity among different communities and groups, and hopes to inspire and mentor the next generation of South Sudanese writers and journalists.

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