South Sudan slams DR Congo over Machar’s exit

August 28, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudanese government under the leadership of President Salva Kiir has expressed strong disappointment with the government of neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for allegedly allowing the use of its territory to help in the evacuation of the armed opposition leader and former First Vice President, Riek Machar.

President Kiir’s government had earlier ordered its forces to capture Machar “dead or alive” after dislodging him from the South Sudanese capital, Juba, more than a month ago and followed him into the bushes.

Information and Broadcasting Misister, Michael Makuei Lueth, described the evacuation of Machar from inside the country using an aircraft coming from Congo as a violation of international law and asked the Congolese government through its embassy in Juba to explain why they could not inform them if they did not permit the evacuation plan.

Minister Lueth in a statement on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) said such an act to save Machar “does not benefit either of the two countries as well as regional and global peace.”

His comments followed a summon by the ministry of foreign Affairs of Congolese ambassador in Juba for a meeting during which the ministry officially protested what it called border limitation by Congolese authorities.

Machar fled the capital, Juba, after government forces attacked his residence following a clash between presidential guards loyal to the president and his (Machar) security details at the presidential palace in Juba, resulting in the death of nearly 300 soldiers on both sides, with the opposition losing 37 soldiers.

Also, more violent clashes took place for two days when government forces attacked Machar’s base and residents at Jebel site, which again resulted to the loss of hundreds more on both sides.

Fearing his personal safety, Machar moved out of Juba hoping that the ceasefire which he and president Kiir had declared would hold for him to return and resume his work at the presidency. But continued attacks by government forces pursuing him forced him to flee into Congolese side of the border where the United Nations mission in DRC airlifted him after suffering from exhaustion and swollen legs due to nearly six weeks of walking on foot.

Commenting on Machar’s exit, foreign ministry spokesman, Mawien Makol, said the ministry summoned the DRC ambassador in Juba to explain the action by his country. Makol claimed South Sudanese airspace was violated during the evacuation process. But the evacuation reportedly took place from the DRC side of the border.

“We summoned the Congolese Ambassador in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because we were protesting on the border limitation that happened last week when the forces belonging to the former First Vice President crossed the border with him,” said Mawien.

“They [DRC] entered with a flight into the border without the knowledge of the government of the Republic of South Sudan, so that thing of course annoyed us and we have explained to him that this is what happened and he is going to convey the message to his country and that we were not informed about the coming into our border with the flight from Congolese. So they shouldn’t come to our airspace without getting permission from this country,” he added, according to an interview with the United States sponsored eye radio.

Machar is currently in Khartoum as he continues with his treatment from the exhaustion and the swollen legs.

(ST)