Former South Sudan FVP thanks UN, DRC government for care

August 20, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudanese former First Vice President, Riek Machar, has thanked the United Nations system and the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for relocating him from the border and taking care of him, his wife, Angelina Teny, and other senior officials with him.

Speaking through his official spokesperson, James Gatdet Dak, who shared the message on his Facebook page on Friday, Machar also thank President Joseph Kabila of the DR Congo for his government’s hospitality.

“The First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLM/SPLA (IO), thanked the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or MONUSCO, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), under the leadership of His Excellency President Joseph Kabila, for their hospitality by airlifting him and his officials from the South Sudan-DRC border and for taking good care of him and his officials in the DRC,” Dak posted Machar’s message on Facebook page.

Machar, he added, also congratulated the “gallant” opposition forces for courageous fight in self-defence in and around Juba, which successfully evacuated the senior political and military leadership of the armed faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO).

Dak also said his boss is fine, but “exhausted” due to 40 days of walking in the wilderness around Juba and towards the Congolese border.

He added that Machar, whom the SPLM-IO consider as the legitimate First Vice President, is establishing contacts with the leaderships of IGAD, AU and the UN, and will soon tour the IGAD member states.

Machar fled the capital when he was reportedly lured to the presidential palace to get killed, but escaped.

His residence was later on bombed by forces loyal to President Kiir and followed into the bushes around Juba with the aim to capture or kill him.

(ST)