Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon

On 10 and 11 April South Sudan's rival warring leaders President Salva Kiir Mayardit and former Vice-President Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon met at the Vatican face to face for perhaps the last time before the two sides are due to form a unity government in May...

The government army loyal to President Salva Kiir Mayardit (now known as the South Sudan People's Defence Force – SSPDF) has made common cause with Riek Machar's SPLA-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) in a joint offensive against members of the National Salvation Front which backs the Equatorian strongman Lieutenant General Thomas Cirillo Swaka in his refusal to sign last year's Khartoum Peace Agreement (AC Vol 59 No 19 No cash no peace)...

The 12 September peace deal envisages the deployment of 4 000 regional peace-keepers to augment the UN Mission and provide security for the return of opposition figures – especially Riek Machar – who is due to return in May as First Vice President in the new power-sharing government but clearly has well-founded concerns for his security following the 2016 collapse of the previous agreement (AC Vol 57 No 17 Pax Salvatica)...

The much-publicised return of rebel leader Riek Machar to attend the 31 October peace celebrations in Juba was hailed as a milestone in the finalisation of the latest peace deal but much ground remains to be covered...

There is still widespread international concern about the failure to end fighting around Yei and between supporters of chief rebel leader Riek Machar and loyalists of the current First Vice-President Taban Deng Gai in the main opposition heartland of central Unity State (AC Vol 58 No 22 No let-up in southern fighting)...

Insiders are sceptical the deal will hold especially after President Salva Kiir Mayardit refused to shake hands on it with arch-rival Riek Machar at the signing...

These are the incumbent Transitional Government of National Unity (basically the SPLA-in Government faction along with the former SPLA-in Opposition faction of Taban Deng Gai); the mainstream SPLA-In Opposition faction of Riek Machar the nine-member South Sudan Opposition Alliance; the grouping of Other Opposition Parties; and the SPLM-former detainees...

Led by prominent Shilluk politician Lam Akol Ajawin who was alongside Riek Machar during the 1991 split in the SPLA and subsequently went over to the Khartoum government during the last civil war and then formed the SPLM-Democratic Change faction...

Yet the only real breakthrough has been the recognition that no deal can work without rebel leader Riek Machar's full participation in government...

Riek Machar would no longer be subject to house arrest in South Africa; he could travel freely unless participating in regionally-sponsored peace talks...

Odinga's reward is to be Kenya's special envoy to African trouble spots; hence his meeting with South Sudan's President Salva Kiir in Juba on 25 May followed by discussions with rebel leader Riek Machar in South Africa on 8 June...