South Sudan Former President Flee Country

former vice president Riek Machar left with president Savar Kiir 

South Sudan’ s former first vice president and top opposition leader has fled the country , according to a spokesman .

More than a month after the country’ s most recent spasm of violence, Riek Machar has arrived in an unnamed “neighboring country ,” accoding to a Facebook post from his spokesman James Gatdet Dak . A press release from another spokesman , Mabior Garang , called the move an evacuation , and said it followed the “ botched attempt to assassinate ” Machar .

The split between Machar and President Salva Kiir in 2013 prompted the country ’s long descent into civil war, which has left tens of thousands dead . The war divided much of the country along ethnic lines, with Kiir ’s predominantly Dinka troops fighting against Machar ’s Nuer followers.

In 2015 , the two agreed to an internationally brokered peace deal , and earlier this year Machar returned to Juba with about 3 ,000 of his armed men. But in July the feud between the two sides once again spiraled into a broader conflict , consuming Juba for several days and leaving hundreds dead.

Now , Machar’ s evacuation from South Sudan casts further doubt on the resumption of a peace process between the two sides .

Without his support for a deal, it’s unlikely that any negotiation will end successfully. Indeed, officials in the country’ s Yei region have reported recent clashes between the forces .

The United Nations Security Council voted this month to send 4 , 000 additional peacekeepers to South Sudan in recognition of the deteriorating situation , but so far peacekeepers have been able to do little to prevent the country from sliding backwards towards war.

“The over - focus on a new peacekeeping mandate at the expense of political developments in the country reflects international disunity and a lack of political strategy , ” said the International Crisis Group in a report Tuesday .

During the fighting in July , Machar fled the capital, not disclosing his location .

Weeks later , Kiir formally replaced him as first vice president with Taban Deng Gai , a former Machar ally .

That appointment has created challenges for the international community, including the United Nations, who have been careful in meeting with Gai not to validate Kiir ’ s dismissal of Machar.