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South Sudan Rebel Leader Set to Return to Juba

South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar. (Reuters)
South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar. (Reuters)
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South Sudan Rebel Leader Set to Return to Juba

South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar. (Reuters)
South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar. (Reuters)

South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar is expected to return to Juba on Wednesday, more than two years after he fled the country, announced his office on Tuesday.

He will celebrate a peace deal upon his return. The collapse of an earlier accord forced to him to originally flee the country.

Lam Paul Gabriel, a spokesman for Machar's SPLM-IO rebel group, said the leader will "travel to Juba for the peace celebration" due Wednesday.

He would hold celebrations with his long-time rival, President Salva Kiir, in Juba - though there was no immediate confirmation from the government.

Machar's previous homecoming, in April 2016, was put off by wrangling over how many bodyguards he could bring with him and what weapons they would carry, but Gabriel said this time Machar would be accompanied by only around 30 political figures.

"We are worried for his security in Juba, but the truth is here: we are for peace, and what we are trying to do is build trust. So that is why he is able to leave his forces behind and just go with politicians," Gabriel said.

The world’s youngest nation plunged into civil war in late 2013 when troops loyal to Kiir clashed with forces loyal to Machar, the former vice president.

Ethnically charged fighting soon spread from the capital across the impoverished state, shutting down oil fields, forcing millions to flee and killing tens of thousands of people.

“Machar will lead a delegation of the SPLM/A-IO members for the peace celebration in Juba but the program in Juba is entirely in the hands of the regime,” group spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel said.

Under pressure from the United Nations, the United States and other Western donors, Machar and other insurgent factions signed a peace deal with the government in August after a string of failed talks and accords.

Machar fled to neighboring Democratic republic of Congo in 2016 months after an earlier peace deal collapsed. He later traveled to South Africa where he was held under house arrest until peace talks started again in June, sponsored by regional bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 after decades of north-south war fueled by oil, ethnicity and religion.

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Tehran Ready for Negotiations with Washington ‘Based on Trust’

Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani. (Jamaran news)
Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani. (Jamaran news)
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Tehran Ready for Negotiations with Washington ‘Based on Trust’

Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani. (Jamaran news)
Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani. (Jamaran news)

The Iranian government stated on Tuesday that upcoming negotiations in Geneva over its nuclear program will be guided by the directives of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the interests of the Iranian people.

Iran plans to hold talks on Friday in Geneva with France, Britain and Germany, following a recent resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) censuring Tehran for its lack of cooperation on its nuclear activities.

Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani confirmed that the meeting between Iran’s deputy foreign minister and representatives from the three European nations will proceed under the framework of “national interests as emphasized by the Supreme Leader.” She noted that discussions will encompass bilateral, regional and international issues, including the crises in Gaza and Lebanon and broader efforts to promote peace in the region.

Asked about the possibility of direct negotiations with the United States, Mohajerani stated that Tehran is “open to considering any proposal aligned with its national interests.” However, she stressed that “dialogue requires respect and trust, which cannot be built through mere rhetoric.”

Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Deputy Foreign Minister for International Affairs, will lead the Iranian delegation at the Geneva talks, according to Iranian media.

Media outlets close to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) expressed cautious optimism about the Geneva talks, but tempered expectations. The IRGC-affiliated Nour News described the meeting as a “small but significant opportunity for both sides to find common ground and reduce unnecessary tensions that have strained their relations in recent years.”

Both Iran and its European counterparts appear inclined to pursue de-escalation and resume diplomatic channels to resolve disputes, it reported. Analysts quoted by the site characterized the talks as “an essential step in rebuilding trust between Iran and Europe.” If sustained, these efforts could end the two-year stalemate in negotiations over the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The IAEA’s Board of Governors recently passed a resolution urging Iran to increase its cooperation with the agency. The resolution called for the IAEA Director General to deliver “a comprehensive and updated assessment on the possible presence or use of undeclared nuclear materials in connection with Iran’s past and current nuclear activities.”

Western powers, including the United States, France, Britain and Germany, dismissed Iran’s last-minute proposal to limit its stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium—close to weapons-grade—as “inadequate and insincere.”

In response, Iran announced the activation of advanced centrifuges at its Fordow and Natanz uranium enrichment facilities.

Despite the heightened tensions, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei underscored Tehran’s commitment to a policy of engagement and cooperation. He framed the upcoming talks as a continuation of discussions held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Iranian media claimed that Tehran has refrained from actions that could complicate negotiations in recent months. However, they accused European powers of taking “unconstructive measures” that have hindered the diplomatic process.