Machar denounces propaganda that he is under house arrest in S. Africa

Former South Sudan first vice-president Riek Machar has described as propaganda, reports that he is effectively being held under house arrest in the South African capital Pretoria.

Machar’s party accused the Salva Kirr-led government of fueling the propaganda which some reputable media houses were carrying. ‘‘This malicious propaganda is part of a campaign by the regime in Juba,’‘ a statement by his party read.

‘‘The horizons of whoever fabricated this story are obviously limited to Juba City limits, as they think that all countries operate like South Sudan, without the process of law,’‘ it added. They also added that Machar’s arrest even if it happens ‘‘would not solve the root cause of the conflict.’‘

#SouthSudan:Riek Machar denies he is under arrest in #SouthAfrica; welcomes national dialogue, but says it must not be led by president Kiir pic.twitter.com/x1kcYNTaBm

— Rachael Akidi (@rakidi) December 15, 2016

The leader of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) fled the country in August and has since failed to return. A Reuters report on Tuesday suggested that Machar ‘‘is being held in South Africa to stop him stirring up trouble in Africa’s youngest nation.

They cited diplomatic and political sources as the basis for the story even though South Africa’s Foreign Ministry official, Clayson Monyela, described him as a ‘guest.’

“Him being our guest here is part of our responsibility as a mediator,” Monyela said, adding that it was “difficult to predict” the duration of his stay. “It’s very hard to put timelines on these peace and security situations.”

The opposition also welcomed the call for a national dialogue as proposed by President Kiir, even though they added that the SPLM/SPLM-IO ‘‘does not believe that President Salva Kiir has the credibility’‘ to lead the dialogue.