South Sudan government said Friday it is increasingly worried for the security of its embassy in Kenya, weeks after critics staged a protest in front of the embassy.
The peaceful protests organized by the Red Card Movement (RCM), a South Sudanese youth group, were staged outside the embassy in Nairobi on 9 July.
The protesters were dispersed by Kenyan police. Three of them were arrested and charged for unlawful assembly before being released on bail the next day.
Information Minister Michael Makuei told reporters after the cabinet meeting that the minister of foreign affairs had been directed to liaise with his Kenyan counterpart to tighten security around the embassy.
“The minister of interior proposed the engagement of a lawyer and security for the protection of our embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. After thorough deliberations on this issue, the cabinet directed the minister of foreign affairs to liaise with his counterpart so that they look into the security of our embassy there,” said Makuei.
“This situation came after the arrest of Red Card Movement members who demonstrated and went to the embassy. Those people were arrested and later released without trial,” he added.
Last week, Amnesty International said South Sudanese authorities have in recent months conducted a cross-border campaign of harassment, intimidation and attacks against critics to prevent a series of global protests on the country’s leadership from taking place.
The international rights group further said RCM members in Kenya were threatened with arrest and deportation back to Juba.
“It is a shame that the authorities fail to appreciate the pivotal role that respecting, protecting and promoting human rights plays in the country’s growth and development,” said Joan Nyanyuki, Amnesty International’s Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes.
“The South Sudanese people must be able to enjoy their human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. People should be free to criticize their government and its policies without fear of reprisals,” she stressed.
The Red Card Movement has been calling for nationwide protests against President Kiir’s administration for allegedly failing to restore permanent peace in the country.