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NAIROBI - 21 Jan 2020

10 South Sudanese nationals freed after being jailed in Nairobi

File photo: South Sudan Ambassador to Kenya, Chol Ajongo
File photo: South Sudan Ambassador to Kenya, Chol Ajongo

10 South Sudanese nationals arrested after a basketball game between Kenya and South Sudan in the Kenyan capital last Saturday have been released without charges, a diplomat said.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, South Sudan’s Ambassador to Kenya, Chol Ajongo Mawut said Kenyan police arrested the youths shortly after the basketball match in Nairobi.

"The Kenyan police stopped a vehicle and arrested 10 young men from South Sudan and imprisoned them in Kileleshwa Police Station," he said.

The South Sudanese diplomat further said two of the youths were freed after several hours, while eight others were released on Sunday after the embassy intervened.

“There was no any clear reason for the arrests. The police arrested those youths to ask for proper documents because they are foreigners,” Mawut explained.

The Kenya national basketball team outclassed South Sudan 74-68 on the last day of the FIBA Afro basketball pre-qualifiers at the Nyayo National Stadium Gymnasium on Saturday.

The match which was scheduled to kick off at 6:30 pm local time had to be delayed for more than an hour after a significant number of fans stormed in the court as the teams warmed up.