Kenya should do more to quell South Sudan turmoil

The story of South Sudan, Africa’s youngest nation, is one of pain and suffering. Since its independence from The Sudan in 2011, it has not known peace. A dispute pitting President Salva Kiir and his estranged former Vice President Reik Machar has resulted in the displacement of more than 2 million people and the deaths of at least 10,000.

Hopes of a breakthrough after an April peace deal were dashed when Dr Machar fled the country shortly after, fearing for his life. South Sudan a country rich in natural resources is in turmoil. The strife has consigned more than 5 million South Sudanese to a life of misery, needing humanitarian and food assistance from UN agencies.

And a recent report by watchdog group, The Sentry, shows that the families of Mr Kiir and Dr Machar live in opulence in a leafy Nairobi suburb only a few metres away from each other.

This newspaper has argued before that Kenya should make it clear to the two protagonists that their family and kin will not enjoy peace and quiet in Nairobi suburbs while they do nothing to stop trouble back at home. Kenya will do more to force the feuding parties to the negotiating table if, say by issuing travel sanctions and freezing their assets.