South Sudan has dismissed claims by Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga that he was sent to meet Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni after being denied access to South Sudan’s First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, during his recent visit to Juba.
Odinga, who visited South Sudan on Friday, met with President Salva Kiir but later told the media in Kenya that he had requested to meet Dr. Machar but was denied access. He stated that, instead, he was advised to meet with President Museveni in Uganda.
“I asked to be allowed to talk to Dr. Machar, but they were not able to let me see him. They recommended that I meet with [Ugandan] President Yoweri Museveni, which I did. From Juba, I then proceeded to Entebbe,” Odinga said.
However, South Sudan’s Presidential Press Secretary, David Amuor Majur, refuted Odinga’s account, clarifying that President Kiir did not send him to Museveni.
“The suggestion that His Excellency General Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan, requested Right Honorable Raila Odinga to meet with the President of Uganda is a misrepresentation of diplomatic norms and principles,” Amuor stated.
He emphasized that Odinga’s visit to Uganda had been pre-arranged and was not directed by South Sudan’s leadership.
Despite denying the claim regarding Museveni, Amuor confirmed that Odinga was not granted access to Machar, explaining that the First Vice President was under investigation. President Kiir assured Odinga that he could meet Machar in the future after consultations with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) heads of state.
“Raila asked to meet Machar, but President Kiir’s response was that the First Vice President ‘is under investigation’ and that after further consultations with other IGAD member states, there might be a chance for him to meet and talk with him in the future,” Amuor stated.
Odinga, in his capacity as IGAD special envoy to South Sudan, is expected to brief the presidents of Uganda, Ethiopia, and Djibouti about his discussions with President Kiir.
