| UNITED NATIONS
UNITED NATIONS East African states and South Africa believe that allowing South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar to return to the war-torn country would not "necessarily be positive at this stage," said United Nations envoy David Shearer on Wednesday.Machar, who fled to Democratic Republic of Congo in August after fierce fighting in South Sudan, is being held in South Africa to prevent him from stirring up trouble, diplomatic and political sources told Reuters in December.Shearer, who heads a U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, confirmed that was the case. "The feeling very much within the region is that his role, in terms of bringing him back, wouldn't necessarily be positive at this stage, so that's the decision of regional governments and South Africa," Shearer told reporters in New York. South Sudan descended into civil war in 2013 after President Salva Kiir fired Machar as his deputy, unleashing a conflict that has spawned armed factions often following ethnic lines.Shearer said Festus Mogae, the former Botswana president who heads the international mediation and monitoring body JMEC in South Sudan, and U.N. envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom, had both visited Machar. "What's the most important thing -- and I have made this point to everybody including President Kiir -- is that the constituency he represents must be part of any peace process and any process that moves forward," Shearer said. The United Nations has warned of a possible genocide as millions have fled their homes, the oil-producing economy is in a tail-spin, crop harvests are devastated because of the worst drought in years and millions face famine. The United States slammed Kiir on Tuesday for the African state's "man-made" famine and ongoing conflict, urging him to fulfill a month-old pledge of a unilateral truce by ordering his troops back to their barracks.U.N. sanctions monitors reported to the Security Council last month that South Sudan's government is mainly to blame for famine in parts of the country, yet Kiir is still boosting his forces using millions of dollars from oil sales. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Sandra Maler)References
- ^ Michelle Nichols (www.bing.com)
Newer articles:
- Disappeared: South Sudan activist Dong Samuel Luak opposition official Aggrey Idris - 27/04/2017 15:11
- Over 95,000 S.Sudanese fled to Sudan in 2017: UN - 27/04/2017 10:56
- South Sudan's army denies losing control of troops - 27/04/2017 07:34
- 'I cannot go back': South Sudan refugee clan begins new life - 27/04/2017 05:16
- South Sudan forces launch new offensive: UN - 26/04/2017 15:09
Older news items
- South Sudanese banks run out of cash as conflict rages - 26/04/2017 13:42
- New South Sudan fighting displaces 25,000 people - 26/04/2017 10:47
- As South Sudan Battles Famine, Aid Workers Remain Under Fire - 26/04/2017 04:15
- Margaret Evans on why South Sudan's famine will continue 'for a long time to come' - 26/04/2017 03:02
- South Sudan cease-fire faltering into conflict: UN - 26/04/2017 00:06
Latest news items (all categories):
- South Sudan's President Kiir promotes sanctioned ally as ruling party deputy - 21/05/2025 19:01
- US says South Sudan is not final destination for deportation flight - 21/05/2025 18:56
- US ‘illegally deported’ Vietnamese and Burmese migrants to South Sudan - 21/05/2025 18:53
- How Collo’s Selfish Education Negatively Affects Society - 17/05/2025 21:06
- Museveni Launches Regional Road Project Linking Uganda, South Sudan & Central African Republic - 17/05/2025 20:08
Random articles (all categories):
- AFCON U-20 Qualifiers: Sudanese referees in charge of Uganda, South Sudan duel - 30/03/2018 01:00
- What is the role of youth in peacebuilding in South Sudan? - 26/07/2021 02:37
- BREAKING UPDATE: UK Sanctions Sudanese Businessman Al-Cardinal - 26/04/2021 21:32
- South Sudan: UN peacekeepers continue protecting civilians amid tense ... - UN News Centre - 20/12/2012 12:49
- South Sudan VP Machar's party trying to locate him after arrest warrant issued - 26/03/2025 23:10
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 105528 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 22670 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 22133 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 21165 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 19572 times