South Sudan’s opposition has declared that its leader Riek Machar, who also serves as the war-torn country’s vice president, is being replaced by one of his opponents.

Nyarji Roman, a Machar spokesman, said Saturday that Machar was being replaced as President Salva Kiir’s deputy with Taban Deng, a former ally now turned into a foe.

Roman, who is in hiding along with Machar since the government’s bombing of the rebel leader’s house in the capital Juba earlier this month, said the replacement of Machar is a “conspiracy” to overthrow him.

He said Machar had fired Deng on Friday for holding unilateral negotiations with Kiir. Deng had acted as the rebels' chief negotiator during the peace talks that led to a major accord between Machar and Kiir last year. The number-two in the ranks of the armed opposition was at odds with Machar over the deployment of African Union forces to Juba, which Machar had hoped could facilitate his return to the capital.

Government spokesman Michael Makuei said there would be no problem for the replacement of Machar if the opposition decided to do so.

Machar's chief of staff, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, said, however, that Deng will serve until Machar returns to the capital.

The growing divisions among the ranks of the opposition in South Sudan come as the country has entered a new phase of deadly violence. Hundreds were killed in a matter of days earlier this month as governments in Africa and in the West expressed concerns that the world’s youngest nation could again slide into instability.

Deng, who is like Machar from Unity state, faces strong opposition among powerful militia groups who fought on Kiir's side during the civil war in the north.