President William Ruto, on Thursday, March 27, held a phone conversation with South Sudan President Salva Kiir, moments after the arrest of the country's first Vice President, Riek Machar.
According to the Kenyan Head of State, the conversation was centred on the circumstances that led to the arrest of Kiir's long-time political rival.
In a brief statement, Ruto disclosed he also held separate talks with Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni and Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmend concerning Machar’s controversial arrest.
The president went ahead to reveal that after the consultations, he decided to send a special envoy to South Sudan to engage, try to deescalate the matter and provide feedback.
“Had a phone call with President Salva Kiir on the situation leading to the arrest and detention of First Vice President Riek Machar in South Sudan,” Ruto announced.
“After consultations with President Museveni and Prime Minister Abiy, I am sending a special envoy to South Sudan to engage, try to de-escalate, and brief us back,” he added.
Machar was arrested on Wednesday, March 26, by a convoy of 20 armed security officials who invaded his residence in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, and disarmed his bodyguards before detaining him.
Following his arrest, Machar was placed under police custody alongside his wife, Angela Teny, who happens to be the country's Interior and Coordination Minister.
Machar's arrest was confirmed by Reath Muoch Tang, the Chairman of Machar’s foreign relations committee, who termed his arrest as unconstitutional, adding that the warrant of arrest was delivered under unclear charges.
Hours after his arrest, the United States government sent a message calling for the immediate release of Machar to stop further escalation of conflict in the war-torn country.
“We are concerned by reports that South Sudan's First Vice President, Machar, is under house arrest. We urge President Kiir to reverse this action and prevent further escalation of the situation,” read part of the statement by the United States Department, Bureau of African Affairs.
Meanwhile, on Thursday afternoon, the Kenyan National Police Service (NPS) announced that it was sending a team of specialised officers to South Sudan for a United Nations peacekeeping mission.
The officers were drawn from the Kenya Police Service (KPS), Administration Police Service (APS), and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
According to NPS, their mission is to undertake specialised duties in support of peacekeeping efforts, aligning with international policing standards.
