Kenya’s Odinga meets S. Sudan’s Kiir over civil war
May 27, 2018 (JUBA) – Raila Odinga, the Kenyan opposition leader who now serves as his country’s special envoy to South Sudan on Thursday held a seven-hour meeting with President Salva Kiir.
The two leaders reportedly discussed ways of resolving the civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.
The Kenyan opposition leader is also scheduled to travel to South Africa to meet the exiled former South Sudanese first vice-president Riek Machar.
Meanwhile, the Machar-led rebels welcomed Kenya’s move to involved Odinga in the negotiations for peace in the war-hit nation.
The group, however, insists that Machar, who is in South Africa, be released and allowed to sit in the talks. They have said that this would reduce the time needed to bring calm to South Sudan.
“We are aware that Raila met President Salva Kiir in Juba, and we are looking forward to a meeting with Dr Machar too. We hope that this initiative is further helped by Kenya by authorising Raila to try and bridge the gap,” Henry Odwar, a member of the Machar-led group.
Odwar and a team of the armed opposition negotiators leading the efforts to find a lasting solution were in Nairobi on Sunday to brief the South Sudanese living in Kenya on the progress of the peace talks mediated by the regional bloc (IGAD).
(ST)