Some residents of Juba have applauded President Salva Kiir for inviting Dr Riek Machar to return home.

Kiir made the statement during the closing of the SPLM National Liberation Council meeting over the weekend.

In the meeting aimed at reuniting the SPLM factions, the members endorsed the Arusha agreement without Dr. Machar.

According to SPLM Secretary of Information Peter Lam, Kiir is ready to protect Dr. Machar if he returns, and the other option for his security is the Regional Protection Force.

“We want Riek Machar and other factions to come back to South Sudan and bring peace to the citizens. As you know now people are suffering a lot and it is because of no peace in the country,” stressed Abraham Mayom, a resident in Juba.

President Kiir called on Dr. Machar to return to Juba within 45 days for the reunification of the ruling party.

This call seems to reverse his statement in 2017 when he said all South Sudanese are welcome to participate in the national dialogue process except Dr. Riek Machar.

“We want those people to come from the bush and different neighboring countries to be together and join their hands,” added another Juba resident.

Dr Machar fled Juba following fighting in July 2016 that erupted at the State House between his bodyguards and that of President Salva Kiir.

He fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo and later then to Sudan after he was wounded while escaping.

Machar was taken to Pretoria for further treatment and since then is being held with his movements restricted and his phone calls monitored and controlled.

In March, during the IGAD Council of Ministers 61st extraordinary meeting in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, the regional body agreed to lift Machar’s house arrest on conditions that “he will renounce violence and not obstruct the peace process”.

It added that Dr Machar will be allowed to relocate to any country outside the region, but one that is not neighboring South Sudan.