By Dean Lubowa Saava
Kenyan former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s diplomatic mission to South Sudan has sparked international attention, particularly after he was denied access to meet First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, currently under house arrest. Odinga met with President Salva Kiir, but the government faction refused his request to visit Machar.
Raila, as a special envoy entrusted to asses the situation in Juba after the house arrest of Dr Machar, was ordinarily expected to hear from both parties in the conflict in order to inform the necessary mechanisms to address the crisis.
After departing Juba, Raila said he held a “detailed and fruitful” discussion with Kiir. “Earlier today, on an IGAD mission, I had a detailed and fruitful discussion with my brother, H.E President Salva Kiir, in Juba, South Sudan, regarding the political situation in the country,” he said.
Key Developments:
Odinga’s Mission: As a special envoy, Odinga aimed to assess the situation in Juba and address the crisis following Machar’s arrest.
Denial of Access: Kiir informed Odinga that Machar was under investigation for alleged murder crimes in Upper Nile state, and therefore, a meeting wasn’t possible.
Meeting with Museveni: After meeting Kiir, Odinga traveled to Entebbe, Uganda, where he discussed the situation with President Yoweri Museveni, who promised to engage with Kiir.
Later, Mr. Odinga revealed that he was not allowed by the government faction to go and see Machar, who has been besieged home by soldiers from the military intelligence and the presidential guards since Wednesday on the orders of Kiir.
“I asked to be allowed to talk to Dr. Machar, but they were not able to allow me to see him,” said Raila. Interestingly, Kiir told Raila to instead fly to Kampala to see Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni regarding the matter of accessing Machar.
“They recommended that I meet with President Museveni,” he said. And indeed from Juba, Odinga’s first stopover was Entebbe, where he had a meeting with Museveni.
“From Juba, I went to Entebbe and had a meeting with President Museveni,” he added. Museveni did not promptly address Raila on the prospects of meeting Machar but instead mentioned that he was going to talk to Kiir.
“I reported to him (Museveni) what I found in South Sudan and after a lengthy discussion, he said he was going to talk to President Kiir,” said Raila.
Uganda deployed UPDF in South Sudan on March 11, 2025, after a request made by Kiir a day earlier on the 10th. The government of Kiir has accused Machar of plotting a rebellion to destabilize the country.
On Friday, the Minister of Information under Kiir, Michael Makuei said intelligence reports pinned Machar for mobilizing his SPLA-IO forces to cause political mayhem.
The SPLA-IO said on Thursday that the arrest of Machar marks the collapse of the fragile peace agreement signed in 2018.
The United Nations, African Union, IGAD and Western diplomatic missions have already called for the release of Machar and the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement.
The United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres on Friday asked President Kiir to release Dr. Machar and also restore the government of national unity put in place by the 2018 peace agreement.
International Response:
UN Secretary-General’s Appeal: António Guterres urged Kiir to release Machar and restore the government of national unity established by the 2018 peace agreement.
African Union’s Concerns: The AU Chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, announced plans to deploy the A.U Panel of the Wise to address the crisis.
Western Diplomatic Missions: The US, UK, France, Norway, Netherlands, Germany, and the European Union delegation in South Sudan called for Machar’s release and implementation of the peace agreement.
The African Union Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said on Thursday that he will deploy the A.U Panel of the Wise, which is chaired by retired Justice Effie Owuor, Kenya’s former Court of Appeals Judge.
The diplomatic missions of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Norway, Netherlands, Germany and the European Union delegation in South Sudan on Thursday called on President Kiir to release Dr. Riek Machar.
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) said on Thursday that it is alarmed by the arrest of Machar noting it “seriously” undermine the fragile peace agreement signed in August 2018.
Escalating Tensions:
Security Situation: The deteriorating security situation in South Sudan prompted Germany and Norway to close their embassies, while the US and UK reduced their staff.
Accusations and Allegations: Kiir’s government accused Machar of plotting a rebellion, while Machar’s party views his arrest as a violation of the 2018 peace agreement.
The deteriorating security situation in South Sudan has already forced Germany and Norway to close their embassies in the capital Juba while the U.S. and U.K. have cut down on their staffers.
