President Salva Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar - File Photo - COURTESY

President Salva Kiir says his recent appeal to Dr. Riek Machar to return to Juba is genuine.

Over the weekend, Kiir called on Dr Riek Machar to come back to Juba within 45 days for reunification of the ruling party, the SPLM.

This came after the National Liberation Council endorsed the Arusha Agreement without Dr. Machar and Pagan Amum and some of his colleagues.

Reiterating the statement while addressing a military parade at the headquarters in Bilpam on Thursday, Kiir said his call to Dr. Riek comes from the bottom of his heart.

“I said it all from my heart and I told the [IGAD] Council of Ministers that ‘don’t find place elsewhere for Dr. Riek Machar to be taken to’,” Kiir stated.

However,  Dr Riek Machar’s spokesman Stephen Kuol dismissed the renewed offer of protection on the condition that Dr Machar returns from South Africa where he’s under house arrest, without troops loyal to him.

He told the BBC Focus on Africa that the issue is sufficient security arrangements for everyone to come to Juba.