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You are not welcome in Ethiopia, PM tells S Sudan’s Machar
Addis Ababa – Ethiopia has reportedly announced that South Sudan's former vice president, Riek Machar, will no longer be welcome into the east African country.
According to BBC, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemarian Desalegn said this during an interview with Foreign Policy magazine.
Desalegn said Machar would only be allowed to travel through Ethiopia but would not be able to stay for long.
The development, the report said, marked a “significant shift of alliances in the region”.
Machar fled South Sudan following clashes with President Salva Kiir’s army in the capital Juba on July 8. The clashes resulted in the death of at least 300 people.
He was replaced by Taban Deng Gai.
Reports indicated that Ethiopia was not the only country, which seemed to have lost patience with Machar.
Early this week, Sudan reportedly blocked him from holding a press conference in the capital Khartoum.
“Sudan has received Riek
Unconfirmed reports recently indicated that the rebel leader was seeking refuge in South Africa or the Democratic Republic of Congo. His close allies, however, denied the reports, saying he was not looking for asylum anywhere.
It remained unclear, however, when he would return to Juba.
News24