Kenyan businesses in South Sudan are staring at major losses and possible closure as the country once again titters on the brink of renewed civil war.
The United Nations has described the situation as “dire”, as tension between forces allied to President Salva Kiir and those of Vice President Riek Machar continues to build.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President William Ruto discussed the South Sudan conflict as concerns mounted over fullblown violence.
There are thousands of Kenyans in South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, but which has perennially been engulfed in conflict. Kenyan businesses there include banks, insurance companies and airlines.
A readout by the US State Department said Ruto and Rubio discussed “recent developments in Somalia and South Sudan”.
Ruto said on South Sudan, he updated Rubio on the current situation and the initiatives Kenya is engaged in to encourage the government and opposition to re-engage, deescalate violence and rededicate themselves to the search for peace.
Kenya had been hosting the Tumaini Initiative talks involving the Hold-Out Opposition groups for 11 months until they stalled last month.
Rubio’s call came a day after the UN Mission in South Sudan warned the country is teetering on the edge of a relapse into civil war.
United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) chief Nicholas Haysom said fighting in Upper Nile had escalated, particularly between the White Army and South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) in Nasir since March 4.
He said indiscriminate attacks on civilians were causing significant casualties and horrific injuries, especially burns, including to women and children.
“Our humanitarian partners assess that at least 63,000 people have fled the area. We are receiving reports of further mobilisation of White Army and SSPDF forces in Upper Nile, allegedly including children forcibly recruited into the ranks of the respective armed formations,” Haysom said.
He said rampant misinformation, disinformation and hate speech is also ratcheting up tensions and driving ethnic divisions and fear.
“Given this grim situation, we are left with no other conclusion but to assess that South Sudan is teetering on the edge of a relapse into civil war,” Haysom said.
He said the deployment of foreign forces [Ugandan troops] at the request of the South Sudan government was fuelling fear and anxiety across the country.
The relapse of South Sudan into another civil war would heavily impact on Kenyans and Kenyan interests in the country.
South Sudan heavily depends on Kenya as an import route, as well as on consumer goods and raw materials.
