The convergence of Kenyans around South Sudan Embassy in Nairobi is an attack on the Sovereignty of South Sudan
By Garang Biar, Juba, South Sudan
March 23, 2016 (SSB) —- In response to the provocative measures that the Kenyans citizens are doing around the premises of South Sudan Embassy in Nairobi, and to the South Sudanese national in Kenya today, I would like to tell Kenyans that they are attacking an independent State. The sanctity of the foreign embassy in any country should always be respected no matter what because its represent the government and the people of that country in the host country.
It has to be protected even if the two countries go to war, no one is allowed to step a foot on the Embassy premises of that very country that you are fighting with. If the situation escalates, the official of that country are officially told to leave the country without any harm. This is a great principle of international law of which Kenyans must be well burst with since they have been an independent country for over fifty years.
To my dismay, the premises of South Sudan embassy is not accorded such respect in East Africa especially in Kenya. People always provocatively converge around the embassy whenever a slight problem occurred to a Kenyan in South Sudan. This is unbecoming and it has to be condemned and discouraged because our relationship with Kenya people is a historical relation that goes back to many years of good neighborhood since the two countries become independent.
We have never had a big quarrel with Kenya; the trend has to continue to enjoy such a friendly relationship that is based on the mutual respect for each country sovereignty. I don’t understand why Kenya, a country that is believed to have gone ahead of development in this region failed to ensure the respect for South Sudan embassy by her citizens?
What all the foreign nationals in South Sudan must know is that death is a must for any human being and it can occur anywhere anytime whether in your country or in a foreign country. If your time to die comes, you must die and no one should be blame for it. It is a known fact that crime is always high in cities of which Juba is not exceptional. The criminal activities that are happening in Juba are not aimed at targeting any foreign nationals from a particular country but it happen by chance if you become unlucky on that day, you can be a victim.
All these criminal activities are carried out by criminals that are diverse from all countries that neighbored South Sudan including Kenya. In many occasions, different foreign nationals who have ganged up with some South Sudanese had been arrested by the law enforcement agency. They are treated as criminals but not a representative of their respective countries, Therefore, it is unfair to target and attack South Sudan embassy when one of the foreign national become victim of crimes in South Sudan.
Another fact is that criminal need money and anyone who is perceive to be in possession of money is the prime target of the criminals. I want say that most of the Kenyans and other foreign nationals in South Sudan are the one having money since they worked in big positions in private sector such as banks, hotels and in non-governmental organizations thus they easily become prey to the criminals that may include Kenyan criminal.
We have so many South Sudanese who have suffered in many scenarios like that in Kenya but that has never caused South Sudanese to go to Kenyan embassy here to demand for an explanation of what is happening to our citizens in Kenya. Why does this applied to South Sudan now?
The third point is that people are aware that South Sudan is at war and there is a serious economic crisis, this has increased the level of insecurity in the country and many South Sudanese are falling victims of the current problem, so the likelihood of the foreign national becoming a victim of the same scenarios is also there so long he/she lives in South Sudan. Its shouldn’t be a surprise to witness such cases because you are in a country which is at war.
The ratio of foreigners to South Sudanese is estimated to be 1:2. Meaning that foreigners stand 50% chance of getting the same problems that the national are facing and this cannot be blamed on anyone. You came to South Sudan knowing that there are issues of insecurity in the country.
Lastly the issue of threatening South Sudanese who are staying in East Africa has to be discouraged. We must weight issues before we react, I don’t think whether our South Sudanese in Kenya are really liabilities to Kenya. All of them are renting Kenyan houses, paying school fees in Kenyan schools and paying for everything they need to keep themselves there. If they are expels, who will need who the next day when that hangover goes down?
Let us stop all these empty threat because it will never help anyone country if we keep threatening each other. South Sudan is a bread basket for this region now and I think each individual country of East Africa must value the economic benefits they are getting in South Sudan before threatening South Sudanese citizens in their respective countries. If worse comes to worse, we can accept all these threats and let test the benefit of an eye for an eye.
In conclusion, it is my desire to have a good neighborhood and enjoy the mutual respect for our beloved countries. Let stop bullying South Sudanese, we are an independent country that has to be accorded all the sovereign respect like any other country. All the recklessness toward our embassy amount to attack on South Sudan territory and must stop in case of any problems that occur to a foreign national in South Sudan.
Our citizens do encounter such incidents there in Kenya but we always use right channel to address the problem but not in a chaotic manner. Our being in East Africa should not be misinterpreted and taken as a license of being bullied, this is a red line and our ministry of foreign affairs must make it clear to the region to stop tempering with our sovereign being.
By Garang Biar is a South Sudanese national and can be reached at garangbiar@yahoo.com
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