Kenya has been accused of kidnapping two South Sudanese opposition figures for being vocal against South Sudan’s government, a senior rebel official has reportedly said in Nairobi.
Media sources say the official, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal, said Dong Samuel Luak and Aggrey Idri were kidnapped on two separate occasions.
The source described the reported kidnapping as ‘well-coordinated’, adding that Luak, a lawyer and activist, was picked up Monday evening at his house by Kenyan individuals who identified themselves to him as police officers, while Mr. Idri, who is the chairman of the SPLM-IO humanitarian affairs national committee, was picked up on the following morning.
The opposition official blasted Kenya for not upholding ‘international refugee law’, accusing the Kenyan government of actively collaborating with the South Sudan government to locate and kidnap any South Sudanese who opposes ‘Salva Kiir’s tyrannical regime’.
“We have overwhelming evidence that Kiir’s tyrannical regime pays some Kenyan MPs, I don’t think there is any doubt about that,” asserted the rebel official, and added: “So, the bribed Kenyan MPs covertly work with Kiir’s agents in Kenya to locate, kidnap, and deport any individual Juba sees a threat.”
The official also wondered why Kenya allows abduction of South Sudanese on her soil and accuses some Kenyan MPs of being known paid agents of Juba.
“We would like to know why Kenyan government allows her MPs to be on the payroll of a bloody regime while serving Kenyans at the same time. We would also like to know why Kenya is not protecting South Sudanese who fled the country because of the ongoing civil war,” the rebel official added.
In November 2016, Kenyan police ‘abducted’ rebel Spokesman James Gatdet Dak and deported him to Juba.
The SPLM-IO official disclosed that Luak and Idri are now being held at a jail and refused to elaborate the further.
The South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) contacted Kenyan police but was told to contact the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) instead.
