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Kenya finally withdraws troops from South Sudan

Xinhua, November 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Kenyan government is finally withdrawing its 1000-strong troops which are part of the peacekeeping force deployed under the UN Mission in South Sudan with the first batch due in Nairobi later Wednesday.

Sources at the ministry of defence told Xinhua in Nairobi that the first batch of the soldiers are due to land in Nairobi on Wednesday afternoon with the rest expected within days.

"The Kenya Defence Force (KDF) troops will be arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at midday today," said the source who sought anonymity.

The move comes after President Uhuru Kenyatta said Kenya's decision to withdraw from the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan was a protest against the violation of the dignity of Kenya's soldiers.

Kenyatta said the United Nations acted in an undignified manner when it replaced the commander Lt-Gen Johnson Ondieki who was heading the mission in South Sudan.

He said the United Nations did not also respect Kenya's sovereignty when it took the unilateral decision to which Kenya has responded by withdrawing its soldiers from the mission.

"Our soldiers have served in many countries and with distinction," Kenyatta told African diplomats in Nairobi on Nov. 4 and cited how Kenyan soldiers performed in Namibia, East Timor, Yugoslavia and many other missions.

President Kenyatta pointed out that Kenya has always participated in UN peacekeeping missions in many volatile countries across the world and has always received commendations.

The President said the UN was using the Kenyan officer as a fall guy for the structural and systematic shortcomings of the peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.

"We took the decision to withdraw from the mission to protect the dignity and pride of our men and women in uniform. We feel strongly that the decision by the UN was unfair," Kenyatta said.

Kenyatta however made it clear that Kenya will forever stand by South Sudan as it has done over the years. "Our history with South Sudan speaks for itself. No one can doubt Kenya's commitment to the independence and stability of South Sudan," said the President.

He said Kenya will continue engaging with and supporting South Sudan at the bilateral level and through the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the East African Community. Endit