Machar’s presence in Sudan is temporary, says Sudan’s FM

September 28, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The presence of South Sudanese rebel leader, Riek Machar in Khartoum is “temporary”, said Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour on Tuesday.

“The hosting of former South Sudanese First Vice President Riek Machar in Sudan is temporary, as he is now admitted to a Khartoum hospital and will leave the country soon,” Ghandour told Al-Jazeera TV from New York.

“Sudan would not be a bastion to any opposition of any neighbouring country,” he further stressed.

The Sudanese top diplomat was responding to statements by South Sudanese Ambassador to Khartoum who protested against the presence of Machar in the Sudanese capital where the SPLM-IO leadership decided in a three-day meeting to resume armed struggle to overthrow the government of President Salva Kiir.

Machar ’’cannot declare war on the South Sudan’s government from Khartoum,’’ said Ambassador Mayan Dut Wall in statements to Sudan Tribune on Monday evening.

Ghandour further warned against “the simplification of South Sudanese crisis to a personal conflict” between President Salva Kiir and his former first deputy Riek Machar saying it “is not true at all. Reducing the problem to their persons will not lead to any solution.”

On 17 August UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo airlifted the former First Vice President, Riek Machar, from the South Sudan-DRC border to inside the neighbouring country. After what he arrived into the Sudanese capital for treatment.

Machar fled Juba following street battle which started at the palace on 8 July and in his residence on 10 July between his small number of troops and huge number of forces loyal to President Salva Kiir.

(ST)