South Sudan’s rebel leader and sacked vice president Riek Machar has urged the UN Security Council to help end his exile.

Machar spoke to UN Security Council via video link from South Africa on Wednesday.

He also called for an end of international policy of isolating his opposition group members if peace is to return to world’s youngest nation.

Machar fled Juba to DR Congo in August 2016 and is being held in South Africa to prevent him from going back to South Sudan.

“End the international policy of isolating the SPLM (IO) including my release from confinement and detention so as to enable our full engagement in finding a peaceful resolution to this conflict,” said Machar.

Recently, President Salva Kiir launched a national dialogue but said Machar was not welcome to the same.