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                  S. Sudan Rebel Leader's Return Delayed Again

   by Peter Clottey

   South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar's anticipated return to the
   capital, Juba, planned for Saturday, was delayed after President Salva
   Kiir's government demanded its team inspect weapons that Machar would
   bring along.

   The government's demand came shortly after a Cabinet meeting on Friday.
   The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) had earlier
   announced the government in Juba had accepted plans to allow the plane
   carrying Machar, the designated first vice president, to land.

   Weapons verification

   In a statement issued by Information Minister Michael Makuei, the
   government said it will send a team to ascertain the types of weapons
   before Machar would be allowed to return to Juba.

   The Sudan Tribune website quoted Makuei as saying, "All these [weapons]
   will have to be verified and for them to be verified CTSAMM, which is
   the verification body, will send a team of verifiers to Gambella to go
   and verify the 195 soldiers who are coming plus their individual and
   plus these 20 PKMs and [20] RPGs... If the team leaves today [Friday]
   then definitely the team will be there to do the verification and
   probably by Monday we expect him in Juba."

   Machar's arrival in Juba is a key part of the peace process to form a
   transitional unity government following an accord signed last year
   between Machar and President Kiir to end South Sudan's conflict.

   Peace accord at risk
   James Gatdet Dak, the official spokesman for Machar, says the latest
   surprise demand by the government is an indication that Kiir's
   government lacks commitment to carry out the full implementation of the
   peace accord.

   ''

   He says it was regrettable that the government would pull a surprise
   demand after all their initial concerns were resolved to enable the
   smooth arrival of Machar. Dak says the new demand negatively impacts
   the schedule for Machar's return.

   "This is a very unfortunate development as the first vice president
   designate prepared to travel to Juba today, we have just received a new
   demand from President Salva Kiir's government saying that they will
   send a team to go and verify the weapons that our forces are going to
   carry along, those who are going to accompany the first vice president
   to Juba," said Dak.

   "We are surprised that the government has come up with this new demand
   today they want to verify these weapons when the Ethiopian government,
   which is now in charge of the weapons at the airport, has already
   verified and has communicated it. So it has implications on the
   schedule of the first vice president ... The demand has caused the
   delay and they are several hours behind schedule and I am not very sure
   they are going to make it to Juba today."

   Latest delay
   Dak says Kiir's government is to blame for the latest delay in Machar's
   return. Machar delayed his arrival following disagreements over his
   plans to come along with weapons. He was initially scheduled to arrive
   in Juba last Monday to take up his post as the new first vice president
   after which the transitional unity government would be formed.Dak says
   the rebel group has registered its protest to the JMEC following the
   government's demand.

   Supporters of the government say there is a need for verification to
   ascertain whether the weapons being brought into the country by the
   rebels are indeed what they claim to be. Dak disagreed.

   "It will cause further delay of the transitional government of national
   unity which is needed for the implementation of the peace agreement. So
   if the verification will further delay the travel of the first vice
   president designate, this means that the formation of the transitional
   government of national unity will also be delayed," said Dak.

   "I think it is not necessary because the number and the specifics of
   the weapons have been declared. The list has been provided to the
   government and to JMEC," he said. "They know how many AK47s are going
   to be brought in by the forces. They know how many forces are coming
   which is 195. They agreed that the number of PKM weapons is going to be
   20, the number of RPGs is going to be 20. So this information has been
   provided and it has been agreed, and the Ethiopian government in
   Gambella airport has also verified the number of weapons and the types.
   And they have locked them in boxes and even our forces at the airport
   have no access to these weapons."
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/south-sudan-machar-return/3299606.htm
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/south-sudan-machar-return/3299606.html