Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has expressed displeasure after the South Sudan government denied him access to talk to the country’s first Vice President, Riek Machar, who is currently under detention.
Odinga, who addressed the press on Saturday afternoon, said he held talks with South Sudan President Salva Kiir, who explained to him why Machar was arrested.
According to Kenya's Special Envoy to South Sudan, Kiir informed him that Machar was arrested after a military chief succumbed and ten others in the state of Nasir, which is located in the Upper Nile.
However, Odinga’s attempt to talk to Machar, who is currently under house arrest, proved futile as the South Sudanese government denied him entry to Machar’s detention centre.
The former Prime Minister was informed that he could not access Machar because of the ongoing investigations into the alleged murder crimes in the Upper Nile.
“I had a lengthy discussion with President Kiir, who told me about the challenges they are facing and that there was the killing of a general and ten other people in the town of Nasir in the Upper Nile, and this is what they are investigating,” Raila revealed.
“Because of this, he said that Vice President Riek Machar had been put under house arrest as they continue with their investigations. I asked to talk to Machar, but they denied me the chance,” he added.
Hours after meeting with Salva Kiir, Odinga travelled to Entebbe in Uganda, where he met President Yoweri Museveni. During the meeting in Uganda, the former Prime Minister informed Museveni about the unfolding events in South Sudan.
While calling for a quick resolution of the issue, Odinga urged the international communities, including the United Nations, to intervene on the matter to stop further escalation of conflict in the war-torn country.
“However, they had not made a direct connection between him and the killing, but we hope that they are going to finalise his matter as quickly as possible. They said that when I go back to Juba, they will allow me to meet with Riek,” Odinga said.
Machar was arrested on Wednesday, March 26, by a team of armed security officials who raided his residence in Juba, disarmed his bodyguards, and detained him.
Following his arrest, Machar was placed under police custody alongside his wife, Angela Teny, who is the country's Interior and Coordination Minister.
However, his arrest has since attracted international backlash, with the United States and the African Union being among the first to call for his immediate release.
