In the last two days, a total of 260 opposition forces have been flown into Juba by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) aircraft and Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission or JMEC-chartered flights. These arrivals bring the total number to 372, more than a quarter of the 1,370 opposition troops requested to report in the capital to enable the return of the First Vice President-designate, Riek Machar.

To further speed up the transportation of opposition forces to Juba, the government has announced that it will open Juba International Airport on both Saturday and Sunday. If the logistics of the transport operation goes according to plan, approximately half of the expected troops will have arrived by the end of the week.

The remaining troops are likely to reach the capital next week, thus making it possible to initiate the establishment of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU).