South Sudan Rebel Leader Machar Arrives Ethiopia

South Sudan’s rebel leader, Riek Machar, has arrived Ethiopia on Wednesday for a meeting with South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir, for talks to negotiate an end to a five-year-old civil war.

According to Lam Paul Gabriel, a rebel spokesman and an Ethiopian official while speaking about Machar’s movement said;

“Yes, I can confirm to you that our chairman has arrived in Addis Ababa airport this morning,’’

An Ethiopian Government official also confirmed Machar’s arrival and said he would meet Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, before his talks with Kiir.

“Riek Machar has arrived,’’ Foreign Ministry spokesman, Meles Alem, said.

Kiir and Machar are due to meet later on Wednesday.

It will be the first meeting between the two since a peace deal between the government and Machar’s rebel group fell apart in August 2016.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the civil war that broke out in late 2013 when troops loyal to Machar, the former Vice President of South Sudan, launched a rebellion against the government.

All sides in the now complex and multi-faceted war stand accused by the United Nations and other bodies of committing atrocities against civilians.