Kenya issues S.Sudan advisory, businesses affected

What you need to know:

Advisory applies to Kenyans living in parts of the Greater Upper Nile region, particularly the states of Bieh, Latjoor, Akobo, Jonglei, Northern Liech and parts of Maiwut, Eastern Nile, Boma and Yei River.
Kenya urged its citizens living in other parts of the war-torn country to exercise extreme caution.
The advisory comes a day after two Kenyan pilots who had been abducted by South Sudan rebels were released

The Kenyan government has issued a travel advisory to its citizens living in South Sudan.

In a rare statement released on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade specified that the advisory applies to Kenyans living in parts of the Greater Upper Nile region, particularly the states of Bieh, Latjoor, Akobo, Jonglei, Northern Liech and parts of Maiwut, Eastern Nile, Boma and Yei River.

The oil rich region has been a battlefield for several years between government forces and rebels allied to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO).

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Kenya wishes to advise all Kenyan nationals living or travelling to South Sudan to move away from and avoid travelling to areas where armed conflicts and inter-ethnic violence have occurred within the last six months,” read the statement.

Extreme caution

It further urged Kenyans living in other parts of the war-torn country to exercise extreme caution.

“They should avoid unnecessary travels in these regions because the security situation is risky and their security cannot be guaranteed,” it said.

All Kenyans living in South Sudan were called upon to get registered at the country’s embassy in Juba or through email, [email protected].

The ministry said emergencies should be reported immediately to [email protected] and +25420494992.

Abducted pilots

The advisory comes a day after two Kenyan pilots who had been abducted by South Sudan rebels returned home.

Captain Frank Njoroge and his co-pilot Kennedy Shamalla were captured and detained by Akobo local authorities under the control of the Sudan People's Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) after their plane crashed in the region.

The two were released after the rebels were paid Sh 11 million as compensation for loss of life and property when the plane crashed.

Business environment

Kenya has major interests in South Sudan, having helped broker a 2005 peace agreement between the country and its northern neighbour.

South Sudan’s economic prospects, buoyed by expected developments in the budding oil industry, has attracted hundreds of Kenyan firms, including banks and insurers raising the stakes for their owners.

Tens of Kenyan firms are operating in South Sudan through subsidiaries or cross-border sales networks including UAP Holdings, East African Breweries Limited , KCB, Equity Bank, Co-operative Bank, and Kenya Airways.

Despite its oil wealth, the country is still largely under-developed and renewed fighting pitting the government against rebels has dimmed its short-term economic outlook.

The ethnic conflict which started in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir sacked his deputy Riek Machar – who is in exile — has killed more than 100 and displaced millions of South Sudanese.

Almost two million people have been internally displaced and a similar number has sought refuge in neighbouring countries, with one million in Uganda alone, according to Human Rights Watch.