February 12th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – Two international human rights advocacy groups urged on Tuesday Kenya and South Sudan to carry out “transparent and impartial” investigation into circumstances in which two South Sudanese government critics disappeared.
Dong Samuel Luak, a prominent South Sudanese lawyer and human rights activist, and Aggrey Idri, a member of the main armed opposition SPLM-IO, were arrested in Nairobi in 2017 on January 23rd and 24th respectively and were reportedly deported to South Sudan subsequently.
The two rights groups said sources in South Sudan told them that the two men were seen at South Sudan security headquarters in Juba in January 2018 before disappearing later that month. The South Sudan government denied this.
“The Kenyan police and the South Sudanese authorities should ensure effective, transparent, and impartial investigations into the enforced disappearance of two South Sudanese critics in Nairobi more than two years ago,” Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said in a joint statement issued today.
“The families of Dong Samuel Luak and Aggrey Ezbon Idri have waited patiently for the truth for two years, their lives in limbo,” Jehanne Henry, associate Africa director at Human Rights Watch said adding that: “But this decision which lets Kenyan police off the hook, risks sending this case into oblivion and denying the families justice.”
