Raila misrepresented diplomatic mission during South Sudan visit - Kiir's office
As questions swirl over the clarity and coordination of Odinga's special envoy role, one thing remains clear—Juba is not amused.
South Sudanese officials have sharply rebuked Raila Odinga, accusing him of distorting diplomatic protocols and misrepresenting the purpose of his visit to Juba.
Odinga, who had been dispatched by President William Ruto as a special envoy to help defuse South Sudan's escalating political crisis, claimed over the weekend that the South Sudanese government under President Salva Kiir had blocked him from meeting First Vice President Riek Machar and instead rerouted him to Uganda for further consultations.
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"I asked to be allowed to talk to Dr. Machar, but they were not able to let me see him," Raila told the press. "They recommended that I meet with [Ugandan] President Yoweri Museveni, which I did. From Juba, I then proceeded to Entebbe."
The opposition leader's brief six-hour trip to Juba last Friday included a closed-door meeting with President Kiir. No substantive details emerged from the meeting beyond official photographs taken at the presidential palace.
Odinga then traveled to Entebbe, Uganda, where he held a private session with President Museveni.
"I reported to him [Museveni] what I had found in South Sudan, and after a lengthy discussion, he said he would get in touch with President Kiir," Odinga said.
But on Monday, Juba pushed back—firmly.
David Amuor Majur, Press Secretary to President Kiir, flatly rejected Odinga's version of events and said President Kiir had not instructed Odinga to seek Museveni's intervention.
"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 misrepresenting diplomatic norms and principles," Amuor stated.
"Odinga's mission to Uganda was prearranged. Nobody has sent him to go and talk to President Museveni."
The diplomatic jab comes amid mounting concern over the house arrest of Dr. Machar, a development that threatens to unravel the fragile 2018 peace deal in the country.
As questions swirl over the clarity and coordination of Odinga's special envoy role, one thing remains clear—Juba is not amused.
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