South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, descended into civil war after Kiir fired Machar as vice president in 2013.
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Machar’s spokesperson said the situation had been suspected for a long time only that his leadership thought President Kiir and Taban Deng Gai, the newly appointed Vice President, were going to abandon their conspiracy for the sake of peace in the country.
President Salva Kiir confirmed Taban Deng Gai’s appointment on Monday following the vacancy created by Reik Machar who fled the capital after days of violence between his troops and those of president Kiir earlier this month left almost 300 people dead.
The swearing-in followed the sacking of Riek Machar on Monday, throwing a peace deal signed in August 2015 into tatters amid fears that the world’s youngest country could slide back to civil war.
His arrest comes as journalists in the country report increased pressure amid fighting between the supporters of President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar this month.
“Talk to everybody in the global community because some circles will take it that it is me in person in the SPLM SPLA who has really conspired for the removal of Dr. Riek Machar, it is not me”.
However, Kiir replaced Machar on Monday with General Taban Deng Gai, a former chief opposition negotiator who has broken ranks with Machar and has the support of some other opposition members.
Kiir’s appointment of Deng Gai – a former minister of mining – came after Kiir issued an ultimatum last week, demanding that Machar contact him within 48 hours and return to Juba to salvage the peace deal, or face replacement.
“In the past three weeks there have been more refugee arrivals in Uganda than in the entire first six months of 2016”, which was 33,838 people, said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in a statement released on Tuesday.
South Sudan was founded with optimistic celebrations in the capital on July 9, 2011, after it gained independence from Sudan in a referendum that passed with a almost 100 percent of the vote. Nyarji Roman, a spokesman for Machar’s faction, calls the appointment of Taban “totally illegal”.
Officials in Machar’s SPLM-IO group were not immediately available for comment.
The recent fighting killed hundreds and sent thousands fleeing. Many civilians also starved.
The refugees, almost all women and children, were escaping stepped-up fighting between forces loyal to Kiir and those backing Machar, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said.
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The latest setbacks are putting the fragile peace plan at risk.
