South Sudan’s new FVP Taban Deng visits Kenya
August 16, 2016 (NAIROBI) – The newly appointed South Sudan’s First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai, Tuesday arrived to Nairobi for talks with the Kenyan officials on the implementation of the IGAD brokered peace agreement.
Gai, whose appointment to replace Riek Machar, opposition leader and former First Vice President, was accompanied by a number of senior political and security officials of President Salva Kiir’s government.
The delegation include defence minister, Kuol Manyang Juuk, cabinet affairs minister, Martin Elia Lomoru, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth of petroleum, Awut Deng Acuil, Akol Koor, head of internal intelligence and Duoth Guet, head of external intelligence, among others.
The visiting South Sudanese delegation is expected to pay a courtesy visit to President Uhuru Kenyatta at the State House to discuss a range of issues, including the proposed deployment of regional force to Juba to restore security and protect civilians at risk in the capital.
The visit comes days after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed a resolution in New York to deploy up to 4,000-strong force to Juba.
The new first deputy president told a summit of the heads of state and government in Addis Ababa last week that he will step down once Machar returns to Juba to continue with the implementation of the August 2015 peace deal which ended 21 months of civil war in South Sudan.
Kenya is among the countries that will contribute troops to deploy in the South Sudanese capital.
(ST)