The arrival of Dr. Riek Machar at Juba International Airport - September 9, 2019/Photo by Chuol Jany/

Opposition Leader Dr. Riek Machar has arrived in Juba.

He is expected to hold a meeting with President Salva Kiir on the pending tasks of the extended pre-transitional period, particularly security arrangements.

The face-to-face meeting is seen as a significant step towards the implementation of a pre-transition period to a unity government.

The last public appearance of the two in Juba was on October 31, 2018, when Machar returned to the capital for the first time in over two years for the commemoration of a peace agreement in a ceremony attended by the regional heads of state.