President Kiir and Machar signed a peace agreement last year to end more than two years of civil war which came about after Kiir accused Machar of an attempted coup.
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The conflict, which erupted barely two years after South Sudan’s independence in 2011, has hammered the economy and left swathes of the 11 million population without enough food. He welcomed his decision to return to Juba and urged him to work with President Kiir to prevent any further violence.
Machar had been due to return to Juba on Monday, but a spokesman for his group said logistical reasons had delayed his travel.
On Tuesday, President Salva Kiir’s government said it will not allow additional military forces to be airlifted to Juba by the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) under the leadership of Machar, saying only 40 soldiers will be allowed to accompany him.
Fighting has continued despite the signing of the peace agreement which remains largely unimplemented.
Tensions are high ahead of Machar’s return.
The arrested men include former state governor Joseph Bangasi Bakosoro, journalist George Livio Bahara and Leonzio Angole Onek, a dean at the University of Juba, the rights group said, noting that the 35 detainees represent “just a small fraction” of individuals who have been arbitrarily detained by the government.
A government official said Machar was held up because he had wanted to bring equipment and troops into Juba in excess of what was agreed with Kiir’s camp.
The government itself is accused of bringing extra troops into the city, though global cease-fire monitors have not commented on the claims.
Now, for the second day in a row, rebel spokesman William Ezekiel had bad news for them.
By Wednesday afternoon the prospect of these troops flying to Juba to implement the peace agreement did not seem likely to happen any time soon.
The swearing in is expected to be attended by African Union representative Alpha Oumar Konare, a former president of Mali, as well as Festus Mogae, a former Botswanan president who heads the worldwide ceasefire monitoring team.
Ezekiel did not elaborate, but South Sudan’s Ministry of Information said in a written statement that Machar, had “called off his arrival indefinitely”.
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The US said it was disappointed by Mr Machar’s “wilful decision” not to abide by his own commitments.
