South Sudan\u2019s controversially ousted opposition leader, Dr Riek Machar, who fled the world\u2019s newest country after fighting broke out in July, is currently in South Africa receiving medical treatment. However, he won\u2019t be welcome home anytime soon.<\/p>\n
The Sudan Tribune reported on Sunday that President Salva Kiir was working with foreign powers to find a country that will grant Machar asylum as long as he stays out of politics.<\/p>\n
Michael Makuei Lueth, South Sudan\u2019s Information Minister, said the government had placed a political ban on Machar, following his call for armed resistance against Kiir.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is being exiled. He will not be coming back to South Sudan and he will never be allowed to talk politics again,\u201d Lueth told reporters.<\/p>\n
Lueth\u2019s harsh comments followed Kiir asserting that Machar would only be allowed to return if he denounced violence and come back to the country as a normal citizen without official assignment.<\/p>\n
Kiir further stated that he has developed a good working relationship with Machar\u2019s controversial replacement, Taban Deng, who was appointed after the opposition leader fled South Sudan saying his life was in danger, following July\u2019s clashes between Machar\u2019s Sudanese People\u2019s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) and government forces.<\/p>\n
Machar has since declared war on Juba, despite the August 2015 peace agreement, in an alleged bid to topple Kiir\u2019s government, a move condemned by the international community.<\/p>\n
During an interview with the African News Agency (ANA) South Sudan\u2019s Ambassador to South Africa, Philip Jada Natana, accused Machar, of attempting a coup and failing to take responsibility for his part in the civil war.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has always been Machar\u2019s tactic to capitalise on popular sentiment when international criticism is levelled against Juba and then present that as his bargaining chip,\u201d Natana told ANA.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was his strategy even during the war in 2013 when there was strong criticism, particularly from the Americans, against corruption by the government. Machar used that as a whipping post to further his own agenda,\u201d said Natana.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe also tried once again to overthrow Sudan\u2019s legitimate government in July just as he tried in 2013.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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