The Daily Maverick published on 9 February 2016 an interview with South Sudan's Riek Machar titled "South Sudan's Rebel Leader: 'I Am a Hero. I Am a Victim'" by Simon Allison.
Allison concluded at the end of the meeting: "I can't tell from our conversation whether Machar is a cynical, masterful politician well-versed in spinning propaganda to foreign journalists; or if he's a deluded ideologue who has somehow convinced himself it is his destiny to bring South Sudan to its knees before building it up again, no matter what the cost."