South Sudan rebel leader safe in neighboring DR Congo

Machar fled South Sudan for neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and has been replaced in the so-called unity government by a former friend and ally, Taban Deng Gai. The U.N. mission there, known as MONUSCO, was alerted to his presence and contacted the Congolese government.

“At this precarious stage in South Sudan’s short history, UNICEF fears that a further spike in child recruitment could be imminent”, he added.

But fighting flared last month, leading Machar to withdraw with his forces from Juba in mid-July.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the DRC became aware of Machar’s presence in the country on Wednesday and contacted the Congolese government, who then asked the mission to extract Machar from his location, U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters in NY.

South Sudan has been experiencing a fight between soldiers loyal to president Salva Kiir and sacked Vice President Riek Machar.

But South Sudan’s government said it opposed the deployment and it is not clear how the mission can go ahead without its co-operation.

Mr. Kiir, whose forces now fully control the capital, has sought to consolidate his power, replacing Mr. Machar with Taban Deng Gai and calling for early elections, despite pleas from the worldwide community.

He said the United Nations mission had “no involvement” in Machar’s departure from South Sudan.

A member of his opposition SPLA-IO party told the BBC he was en route to Ethiopia, via the Democratic Republic of Congo, but earlier media reports said he was in Tanzania or Chad.

Machar’s spokesman Gatdet Dak said on Thursday that forces linked to President Salva Kiir “have been hunting [Machar], so for his safety he chose to relocate”. At least 300 victims were killed in the fighting, which the United Nations said involved targeted ethnic killings and rapes, mostly by soldiers loyal to Kiir.

South Sudan, the youngest country in the world is witnessing horrific abuses of its youngest citizens.

The UN Security Council voted to send 4,000 regional peacekeepers to Juba to calm tensions last week.

August 2016: The opposition figure flees the country. Around 16,000 child soldiers have been recruited since civil war began in December 2013.

South Sudan’s military and opposition forces have made repeated promises to address allegations of child recruitment, but both sides have continued recruiting since July’s outbreak of violence, according to Justin Forsyth, UNICEF’s deputy executive director. Hundreds of civilians died in the fighting.