Insiders from the Kenyan embassy in Sudan fear that the talks that Kenya has plans to evacuate at least 3000 of its citizens stuck in Sudan amid skirmishes are just that.
This is a different stance from that of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, who said that the govt has plans to fly Kenyans home in case of continuation of hostilities.
The source at the embassy likened the situation to that one of Kenyans stuck in Ukraine, in the war with Russia and with China during the COVID-19 crisis; where the govt did nothing.
The CS spoke during the Lower Eastern interdenominational prayers in Machakos County.
The number of Kenyans in one of Africa’s biggest country is not known due to unregistered aliens.
However, CS Mutua urged Kenyans to always register with Kenyan Embassies abroad whenever they travel abroad for ease of coordination incase of emergency situations.
Fighting erupted on Saturday over a power struggle between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) with a doctors’ committee reporting that at least 59 civilians have been killed.
Three employees for the World Food Programme (WFP), a UN body that delivers food assistance to vulnerable communities, were killed after the RSF and armed forces exchanged fire at a military base in Kabkabiya, in the west of the country.
The UN body has temporarily halted all operations, as a result of the fighting between rival military groups in Sudan, which led to the deaths of three WFP employees on Saturday.
The UN Secretary-General has called for those responsible to be brought to justice.
According to a statement attributable to the Executive Director of the UN agency, Cindy McCain, the workers were carrying out life-saving duties in Kabkabiya, North Darfur.
Meanwhile, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities between the warring parties in Sudan.
President William Ruto joined Presidents Salva Kiir (South Sudan), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Ismail Omar Guelleh (Djibouti) and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somalia) for a virtual meeting of Heads of State to discuss the crisis.
President William Ruto asked IGAD leaders to take a firm position to restore peace in Khartoum.
The leaders called on the Transitional Sovereign Council General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo to stop the war and return to the negotiation.
IGAD resolved to send Presidents Kiir, President Ruto and President Guelleh at the earliest possible time to reconcile the conflicting groups.
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