South Sudan rebel chief urges armed resistance to government

KAMPALA, Uganda — A top South Sudanese opposition leader called Saturday for armed resistance to the government in Juba — a stance that suggests the troubled Central African nation could face a renewed civil war soon.

Leader Riek Machar and top officials of the opposition SPLM-IO party issued a statement saying their forces would reorganize to “wage a popular armed resistance against the authoritarian and racist regime of President Salva Kiir.”

The document calls “on the international community to declare the regime in Juba a rogue government,” adding that international agencies monitoring the peace deal should “suspend their activities” until the agreement is “resuscitated.”

“It’s not at all surprising to see Machar call for continued armed struggle, in light of the U.S. policy,” said Kate Almquist Knopf, director of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.