South Sudan rebel leader in Tanzania for talks with president Kikwete

October 19, 2014 (ARUSHA) – South Sudan’s former vice president and opposition leader, Riek Machar is in Arusha, Tanzania, for talks with president Jakaya Kikwete of the east African nation.

South Sudan’s rebel leader, Riek Machar, smiles as he meets his friends at the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa on 9 May 2014 (Photo: Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)

President Kikwete invited both South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir and Machar, who leads an opposition group of the ruling party, the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO).

James Gatdet Dak, the spokesperson for the rebel leader said the visit comes in response to the invitation by the Tanzanian leadership.

“A high level delegation led by our chairman arrived in Arusha on Sunday. The leadership of SPLM/SPLA is invited by the Tanzanian leadership to discuss the political crisis in South Sudan,” said Dak who also accompanied Machar to Arusha on Sunday.

He added that the ruling party in Tanzania, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), invited the principals of the warring parties in order to discuss unification of the SPLM.

Committees from the three groups of SPLM in government, opposition and g-10 have been working out a framework document this week which the rival leaders may witness in the signing.

Meanwhile the rebels chief negotiator, Taban Deng Gai, will travel to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum on Monday to brief president Omer Hassan Al Bashir on the outstanding issues.

(ST)