President William Ruto has appointed former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as Kenya’s special envoy to South Sudan following the arrest of the country’s first Vice President, Riek Machar.
Odinga is set to depart the country for South Sudan on Friday, 28 March, for peace talks aimed at preventing further escalation of conflict in the war-torn country.
The development followed moments after the Head of State spoke with South Sudan President Salva Kiir, his Ugandan Counterpart Yoweri Museveni and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
During the phone call, President Ruto noted that he would be sending a special envoy to South Sudan to engage, attempt to de-escalate the conflict, and provide feedback.
“Had a phone call with President Salva Kiir on the situation leading to the arrest and detention of First Vice President Riek Machar in South Sudan,” Ruto announced.
“After consultations with President Museveni and Prime Minister Abiy, I am sending a special envoy to South Sudan to engage, try to de-escalate, and brief us back,” he added.
Odinga will join a team of specialised police officers sent by the National Police Service (NPS) as peace envoys to South Sudan.
The NPS, in a statement on Thursday afternoon, noted that the officers, drawn from the Kenya Police Service (KPS), Administration Police Service (APS), and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), would undertake specialised duties in support of peacekeeping efforts, aligning with international policing standards.
Similarly, the African Union announced yesterday that it would be deploying the AU Panel of the Wise to Juba, South Sudan's capital, as part of measures to de-escalate the situation.
Machar was arrested on Wednesday, March 26, by a team of armed security officials who raided his residence in Juba, disarmed his bodyguards, and detained him.
Following his arrest, Machar was placed under police custody alongside his wife, Angela Teny, who is the country's Interior and Coordination Minister.
However, his arrest has since attracted international backlash, with the United States being among the first countries to call for his immediate release.
