South Sudan rebel leader and groups given amnesty by President

South Sudan’s president has granted amnesty to armed opposition leader Riek Machar and all rebel groups days after signing a power-sharing agreement in the latest effort to end a five-year civil war.

As part of the power-sharing deal, Salva Kiir will remain as president, while Mr Machar will return to the country as the first vice president, one of five who will take a vice presidential role.

A similar agreement fell apart in July 2016 as fighting erupted and Mr Machar fled the country.

Opposition spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel responded with dismay, saying that the commander of South Sudanese troops who have violated multiple ceasefires “is not qualified to give amnesty to anybody”.

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He added: “Salva should instead seek for forgiveness from Dr Machar in particular and South Sudanese in general.”

The civil war broke out in December 2013 between supporters of Mr Kiir and Mr Machar, who was serving his first stint as the president’s deputy.

The fighting, often along ethnic lines, since then has killed tens of thousands of people and created Africa’s largest refugee crisis since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The United States last month said it was “sceptical” that the two men whose rivalry has been so destructive could lead the way to peace under the new agreement.

South Sudan’s government insists things will be different this time, with government spokesman Michael Makuei saying last week that Mr Machar has “learned the hard way”.

Mr Machar’s troops are expected to go to cantonment sites for training to be unified with the government army. – AP