Kiir dismissed reports of tension in Juba, says military stationed in town is a routine exercise.

Speaking to reporters, Kiir said that there is no insecurity in Juba and that the deployment of soldiers near First Vice President Machar’s house last night was standard procedure, claiming that criminals are ’embedding’ themselves in residential areas around the country’s capital.

“There is no insecurity on the streets of Juba.” What the army and security personnel are doing in Juba is nothing out of the ordinary. “It could happen in any nation because criminals have planted themselves among the residents here in Juba,” he claimed.

“These individuals may go and shoot a gun near Riek Machar’s home, and we may believe that Riek is the one who has started assaulting people.” So, the presence of security troops on the streets does not imply that there is insecurity in Juba,” he said.

Machar released a statement this afternoon condemning the deployment of security personnel outside his apartment and around Juba city, saying it generates undue alarm among the civilian population and is reminiscent to episodes that led to bloodshed in Juba in December 2013 and July 2016.

Following the SPLM-withdrawal IO’s from the security arrangement mechanism meeting last week, the President said that he is ready to conversation with them.

President Kiir criticized the IO’s decision to withdraw from the R-JMEC plenary.