South Sudan’s opposition leader Riek Machar has arrived in the capital, Juba, for the first time since he fled into exile in 2016.

Mr Machar, who has been leading a rebellion against President Salva Kiir, signed a peace deal in August.

Under the agreement he will be one of five vice-presidents.

Mr Machar will be attending the country’s Peace Day celebrations.

Last week, Mr Machar declined President Kiir’s invitation to return but his spokesman said that both sides needed to trust each other if there were to be peace.

South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011, but it was plunged into conflict in December 2013 following a power struggle between Mr Kiir and Mr Machar.

Previous attempts to find a solution to the conflict have failed.

Mr Machar returned to Juba once before, in 2016, but was forced to flee after a couple of months to the Democratic Republic of Congo after fighting broke out.

Hundreds of thousands have been killed in the civil war which has also displaced millions.