Adel Sandrai, a representative to Kenya of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition faction under the leadership of former first vice president, Riek Machar, has protested a push by the Kenyan members of parliament to slap sanctions against relatives of his boss, warning such a move would complicate peace process.
“Rushing to impose sanctions against leaders and threatening to kick their relatives and family members out of Kenya will not help resolve the political problems of South Sudan either. In fact, doing so will only complicate the conflict further”, said Adel in an opinion article obtained by Radio Tamazuj.
Kenya, he said, should not allow itself to be influenced by talks in certain quarters that are not familiar with the South Sudanese crisis and are biased. It is important for Kenya to continue playing its leading role as the stabilizing factor in South Sudan given its knowledge and experience of dealing with the crisis
The opposition official was reacting to media reports quoting heads of the two Kenyan parliamentary committees condemning a new call for a return to war against Salva Kiir’s government by Machar’s faction. He was reacting to remarks attributed to the chairman of Kenya’s security committee in Parliament, Asman Kamama and his counterpart in the defence and foreign relations committee, Ndugu’u Githinji, both of whom said in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi that they working to table a motion would be considered next week to decide whether to slap sanctions against Machar and his relatives.
The Kenyan legislators said Machar’s comments calling for war were” unacceptable and inexcusable” and demonstrated lack of concern and value for the people of South Sudan.
After talks with members of his faction in Khartoum late in September, Machar called his forces to reorganise for “armed resistance” to the South Sudan government.
“We find the fresh calls for war unacceptable and inexcusable. We want Machar and his allies to go back to the negotiating table as an option to pursue and address his grievances,” Kamama told a press conference at Parliament buildings.
“Taking the people of South Sudan back to the trenches must not be an option. Saying the instability in South Sudan threatens Kenya’s economic interests amid an influx of refugees into the country,said Kamama further stressing that the bloodletting in the nation must come to an end and Machar barred from accessing any East Africa country.
Kenya, according to Kamama, has lost businesses with some branches of banks including KCB, Co-operative and Equity getting burned down in the capital Juba.
“The war threatens the continent’s largest Lappset project. Machar and his allies cannot live in comfort in Nairobi and have his children go to better schools while people continue to die in South Sudan,” said Kamama.
Githinji, on the other hand, said Machar cannot be allowed to use any capital in the region as a launch pad for his atrocities back home, against innocent citizens, after failing to perform his duties as Vice President. “Machar and his allies cannot be allowed to enjoy the comfort and relative calm of capitals with their children going to school.