South Sudanese rebels criticize Kenyan envoy’s remark
November 22, 2017 (KAMPALA) – The South Sudanese armed opposition official has criticized the Kenyan ambassador to Juba, Cleland Leshore, after the latter said Kenya would not host rebel groups from the young nation.
“The SPLM/SPLA (IO) is surprised by the statements as this is already the status quo. The SPLM/SPLA (IO) has already been isolated by the region (IGAD) and our political leadership fled Kenya after James Gadet, Dong Samuel and Aggrey Idri, were kidnapped in Nairobi,” Garang said in a statement Sudan Tribune obtained.
On Tuesday, the Kenyan envoy to South Sudan said Kenya will not be a launching pad for rebels and called on the entire region to initiate similar steps to prevent threats imposed on the young nation.
According to Garang, the armed opposition faction has, on several occasions, boycotted meetings conducted in the Kenya, including the most recent gathering of South Sudanese opposition groups, which was held in the Kenyan town of Nyahururu in Laikipia county.
He says despite all the isolation coming from the region SPLM-IO for a year and half the war still escalating in the country.
“This is the fact that the African Union and a United Nations Panel of Experts have found that the peace [agreement] collapsed in July 2016, due to direct orders by President Salva Kiir to his army chief of general staff and director of internal security to attack the residence of the First Vice President”, further reads the statement.
The rebel official, however, said the armed opposition movement has survived isolation from the region and continues with its struggle against the Juba regime with the support of the civil population.
“We would like to assure our civil population in the cattle camps and villages of South Sudan, in the UNMISS [UN Mission in South Sudan] protection of civilian sites and in the refugee camps in neighboring countries, that we shall not abandon their cause in favor of a cheap agreement based on positions,” he stressed.
South Sudan is a strategic partner of Kenya and both nations have cultural similarities as many South Sudanese lived in Kenya before independence.
In 2005, Kenyan exports to South Sudan reportedly stood at US$57.6 million and increased to $144.5 million in 2008. In 2009, however, trade declined to $137.5 million but later picked up to a record $207.3 million in 2010.
(ST)