Dr riek machar biography definition

Riek Machar became the first vice president of South Sudan following its independence from Sudan in July 2011.

In July 2013, he was sacked by President Salva Kiir in a cabinet purge following a public struggle for power.

At the time of his sacking Machar said he would challenge Kiir for the leadership of the ruling party so that he could run for president in the 2015 election.

He was later accused by Kiir of masterminding a failed coup d’état on December 16, a claim that he denied.

“It was not a coup.

Nobody wants that,” he told Al Jazeera, claiming that he was “used as a scapegoat” by Kiir to purge the ruling SPLM party of rivals to avoid reforming it.

Machar has since retreated into the bush and acknowledged he is leading rebel fighters.

South Sudan’s government says he is directing rebels in Jonglei, Malakal and Unity states from his hiding position.

Machar hails from the Nuer tribe, which bitterly fought the country’s majority