South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir travelled to Nairobi on 4 October for talks with Kenya’s President William Ruto, his first foreign trip since he dissolved the transitional unity government on 22 September. He installed a caretaker administration and dropped all five vice-presidents. His office said the talks would cover the general elections set for 22 December, regional security and infrastructure, including the refinery Kenya has launched in Lamu. Kiir is seeking regional backing for what would be South Sudan’s first elections since independence in 2011. Kenya’s support carries weight because Nairobi hosts the stalled Tumaini peace talks with armed groups that rejected the 2018 peace deal.
Sources
- Radio Tamazuj: https://www.radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/kiir-travels-to-kenya-on-first-trip-since-dissolving-government
- Sudans Post: https://www.sudanspost.com/kiir-leaves-juba-for-nairobi-for-talks-on-elections-regional-stability/
- Eye Radio: https://eyeradio.org/kiir-ruto-to-discuss-lamu-oil-refinery-and-south-sudans-elections/