President Kiir and Dr. Machar hold talks in Khartoum | File photo

SPLM-IO Leader Dr. Riek Machar will arrive in Juba on Tuesday to continue discussing with President Salva Kiir some of the pending issues in the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement, according to the main opposition group’s deputy spokesperson.

On 27 January, Manawa Peter said if they reached a deal on the number of the states and the boundaries, they would form the unity government.

“If we don’t agree, then how do we form the government without the number of states?” The senior Opposition official argued.

During this week’s meeting, Manawa said, Dr. Machar will discuss the issue of the number and boundaries of the states and the security arrangements.

“Dr. Riek Machar will come tomorrow to Juba to have the meeting with the special envoys to South Sudan to discuss the issues about the number of states and boundaries,” Manawa told Eye Radio on Monday.

“If they agreed on the proposal of the deputy president of South Africa, then next tomorrow they will sign the agreement and move forward.”

The Opposition Leader returned to Khartoum late last month, without reaching an agreement with President Salva Kiir on pending issues of the peace deal.

The peace parties have failed, twice, to form the unity government – first in May 2019 and then in November 2019.

They now have 17 days to the 22 February deadline for forming the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity.

The parties to the revitalized peace agreement and IGAD special envoys resumed meetings in Juba on Monday to address the pending issues of the state and their boundaries.

This is according to a timetable for the meetings released on Sunday by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, IGAD.

Last week, IGAD postponed meetings between parties to the revitalized peace agreement and the deputy president of South Africa David Mabuza on the number of states and their boundaries.

Several meetings between President Kiir and opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar in Juba over the past two months ended without a break-through on the pending issues.

“If they really want to put the interests of the people of South Sudan, the proposals of the 21 and 32 states will not work,” he added.

The Trump administration has threatened to impose individual sanctions against the main leaders should they fail to meet the deadline and set up the coalition government, saying the citizens have suffered enough and must be given a chance to rebuild their lives.